Officers and Board Members
Current Officers
President
Marissa Knaub Avon has an exciting career as a harp performer and teacher. Her vast experience has given her the opportunity to perform and be featured with ensembles throughout the country. At home she performs with the Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Civic Light Opera, Resonance Works, Wheeling Symphony, Edgewood Symphony, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh to name a few. She recorded a solo album, “Worship from the Harp,” consisting of hymns she arranged for the harp. Marissa teaches harp to students in grades 6-12 at the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) magnet school located in the Cultural District. She also maintains a private harp teaching studio. She is the vice president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Harp Society. Marissa studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, and Berklee College of Music. She currently resides in Franklin Park with her husband and two sons.
Co-Vice Presidents
Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, American Kennel Club Judge and amateur harpist Richard LeBeau has lived in Pittsburgh since 1987. Richard began his collegiate studies on a vocal music scholarship, earning his BA in German after European studies from Eastern Kentucky University in 1983.
A professional bass baritone, Richard performed in over 70 productions with Pittsburgh Opera from 1988 to 2008. He remains a member of AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) and is currently a Director to the Board of the Pittsburgh Opera. Prior to moving to Pittsburgh, Richard sang with the May Festival Chorus and the Cincinnati Pops under Erich Kunzel and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under Jesús López-Cobos and James Conlon. After 1987 in Pittsburgh, he sang in the Professional Core of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh under the direction of the late Robert Page, performing frequently with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under Lorin Maazel, Richard Hickox, Michael Tilson Thomas and other notable conductors.Richard began harp lessons as an adult beginner in 1993 with Lucy Scandrett, former National President of the American Harp Society and Pittsburgh Chapter President, and former Principal Harp with the Benedum Center Orchestra.
Richard has served terms as Chapter Secretary and Chapter President in the 1990s through early 2000s and served as Election Chairman for 2011-2013 election process. Richard has performed in Chapter ensemble concerts and assisted in organizing student evaluations with AHS Founding Member Lucien Thomson as special guest adjudicator, as well as workshops and recitals with Ray Pool, Chantal Thomas D’Hoste, and Dominique Piana.
Richard looks forward to continuing his service to the Chapter and to meeting many new friends and fellow harp enthusiasts.
Melanie Sandrock is a public school music teacher. She teaches choir, guitar, Celtic harp, show choir, string band and orchestra. She also directs the school musical. She is a music education graduate of Bethany College and attended Duquesne University, California University of Pennsylvania, Colorado State University and CCAC/South Campus. She is a recent graduate of the “Harp for Healing” program with a certificate as a Certified Clinical Musician in harp therapy. She is past president of the Scottish Harp Society of America. She was named top educator in Washington County in 2017. She is also the harp chair for the Ligonier Highland Games.
Recording Secretary
Alyssa Hensley Harpist is a professional musician, teacher, and arts administrator in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ms. Hensley started music lessons at the age of seven with piano, harp, percussion, and anything else she could get her hands on. A Chicago native, Ms. Hensley holds a Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance from Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, where she studied with Elizabeth Cifani, and her Master of Music from Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied with Gretchen Van Hoesen. She performs with ensembles such as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Nat28, Chicago Composers Orchestra, West Virginia Symphony, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, Trio Cassa, and Wires and Reeds.
Ms. Hensley is an advocate for new music and early music education. In addition to her private teaching, Ms. Hensley manages Youth Chamber Connection, a chamber music program for the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras, and students throughout the tri-state area serving more than 80 students in 3rd – 12th grade each year. Currently, she also serves as the recording secretary on the board of directors for the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Harp Society.