Florence Wightman

Florence Wightman was an exceptionally prominent harpist of the 20th century. While serving as Principal Harpist at the Metropolitan Opera, she concurrently performed weekly recital programs on several radio networks. Following her retirement from the Metropolitan Opera, she performed annually for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and for other opera companies around the world. Her career began as the Principal Harpist of the Cleveland Orchestra, the first woman to hold a full-time orchestral position in the USA. She left after one season and became harpist of the Roxy Theater in New York City. She studied harp with Carlos Salzedo and was his student and then an assistant instructor under him at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. One recording she made was of Wonder Tidings, a Christmas piece by the composer John LaMontaine, for solo harp, choir and narrator. There are some historic recordings of her playing in the library of the American Harp Society. The recordings reveal her to be profoundly musical, with a peerless depth of tone color, and the phrasing of an opera diva in her performance of the harp solo from Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti. She also participated in the Memorial Concert for Carlos Salzedo, produced by Gerald Goodman, which took place in New York's Town Hall, and was released in limited distribution.