Barbara Poeschl-Edrich grew up in Germany, between Munich and Salzburg. She has performed in recitals throughout Germany, Austria, Italy, England, Japan, and the United States. Her performance experience includes solo, chamber and orchestral concerts, lecture recitals, as well as the premieres of works by Hermann Regner, John H. Wallace, Martin Pearlman, Ronald Arnatt, Julian Wachner, Martin Amlin and Howard Rovics.

Since moving to Boston in 2001, Mrs. Poeschl-Edrich has played with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Classical Orchestra, Boston Baroque (on a Baroque triple harp), Handel & Haydn Society, Collage New Music, Providence Singers, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, the Tanglewood Music Center (Fellowship 2004), Berkshire Choral Festival, Symphony Pro Musica, Chameleon Arts Ensemble, La Donna Musicale, Boston Cecilia Society, Boston Musica Viva, as well as orchestras in Lexington, Plymouth, Springfield, and New Bedford, MA; Rhode Island; Eastern Connecticut; and New Hampshire.

In 2009, Barbara Poeschl-Edrich was the featured soloist with Ars Antiqua, NY in a program called Orpheus’ Lyre. In 2007, Mrs. Poeschl-Edrich appeared with the Newport Baroque Orchestra playing Handel's Harp Concerto on a Baroque triple harp. In 2006, she appeared as a soloist with the Symphony Pro Musica, performing Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp. In 2005, she performed with the Lexington Symphony Chamber Players Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp and Ravel’s Introduction et Allegro. In 2004, she was one of three soloists to premiere a composition by Martin Pearlman with the New England String Ensemble. In January 2004, she appeared as a soloist with the Boston Classical Orchestra, performing Handel’s Harp Concerto and Debussy's Danses for Harp and Strings on just five days notice, filling in for Ann Hobson Pilot.

Mrs. Poeschl-Edrich also plays an Italian Baroque triple harp by Catherine Campbell, a Renaissance double-row harp by Rainer Thurau, and a Gothic single-row harp by Simon Capp. Her academic work ranges from the Welsh Triple Harp to Bavarian harp music, as well as from Britten’s Suite to Hindemith’s Sonata for Harp. She is a founding member of the Trio Mosaic (flute, viola, harp), and the newest member of Music at Eden’s Edge. Barbara Poeschl-Edrich teaches in her private studio, and she is the harp coach for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. Also, she is on the faculty of the Brookline Music School and Boston University. At Boston University, she teaches harp, Baroque triple harp and chamber music. She recorded with La Donna Musicale and Aston Magna on the Centaur label, she was featured on NPR with the early Russian music ensemble Talisman.

Mrs. Poeschl-Edrich graduated from the University Mozarteum Salzburg with a Concert Diploma and a Magistra Artium, having studied both Harp Performance and Instrumental Education with Edward Witsenburg. Continuing in the Master’s program at the Trinity College of Music, London with Sioned Williams, she received a Distinction for performance in 2000. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Harp Performance and Historical Performance from Boston University in 2005, her principal teacher was Ann Hobson Pilot.

She attended master classes with distinguished musicians such as Alice Giles, Elizabeth Fontan-Binoche, Osian Ellis, Lucile Lawrence, Ursula Holliger, Maxine Eilander, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Elliott Carter and Luciano Berio. At Tanglewood she has played under noted conductors such as Seiji Ozawa, James Levine, Kurt Masur and John Williams. Her awards include membership in Pi Kappa Lambda (2005), the UK Harp Association Award (2000), a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship (1998), and the Carl-Orff Medal (1995).

Barbara lives with her husband Thomas and their children Paul and Martha in Chestnut Hill. In her free time she enjoys hiking in the mountains, relaxing on islands, and running marathons.

top of page