John Doan
John Doan, one of the few masters of the rare twenty-string harp guitar, has performed with a diverse range of artists including pop star Donovan, folk legend Burl Ives, jazz ace Larry Carlton, Mason Williams (of "Classical Gas" fame), as a member of the New Christy Minstrels with Randy Sparks, among others and his virtuoso playing and arranging has attracted praise from no less a guitar luminary than Chet Atkins. He recently contributed a chapter to "Between the Strings - the Secret Lives of Guitars" a veritable compendium of the world's greatest guitarists with introduction by B.B. King. He has appeared in numerous publications including the Washington Post and Billboard Magazine as well as staring in two much-loved television specials produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting: "A Christmas to Remember With John Doan" (seen on PBS) and his Emmy nominated "A Victorian Christmas With John Doan." His latest recordings on Hearts O' Space Records have been nominated for "Best Celtic Album of the Year" with Eire - Isle of the Saints winning that title. His music has also been featured on numerous prime-time television and movie productions including Walt Disney, among others. His lastest video project is a 90 minute documentary that he wrote and starred in titled "In Search of the Harp Guitar." John recently hosted an International Harp Guitar Festival at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon where he is an Associate Professor of Music. He lives near Salem with his wife Deirdra atop of an extinct volcano overlooking the Willamette Valley (he is hoping his view will not be enhanced in the coming years).
Credits:
John Doan is a recording artist and concert performer as well as a professor of music at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. He is known as one of the world's leading harp guitarists and recently hosted the International Harp Guitar Gathering in Salem, Oregon.
Following are some of the things John has been up to:
John's Special Appearances:
Currently touring with Mason Williams
Opening act for Donavon
Opening act for Larry Carlton
Performed and recorded with Burl Ives
Performed and recorded with The New Christy Minstrels
Recorded with Ricki Lee Jones
Awards:
Emmy-Nomination for "Best Entertainment Special of the Year" for "A Victorian Christmas with John Doan."
"Best Celtic Album of the Year" - NAV Awards for "Eire - Isle of the Saints".
Nomination for "Best Celtic Album of the Year" - NAV Awards for "Wayfarer - Ancient Paths to Sacred Places".
"Visionary Award" for "Farewell" on "Celtic Twilight" on Hearts O'Space Records.
"Salem's Favorite and Best Musician Award" - Statesman Journal, Salem, OR.
John's Movie and DVD Credits:
Primal Twang - The Legacy of the Guitar
Tapestry Productions "A Celtic Pilgrimage with John Doan."
Fisher-King Productions "In Search of the Harp Guitar."
HBO Movie Special "Baby", music by Jeff Dana, John Doan harp guitar.
PBS "Rufus Jones a Luminous Life" - a PBS DVD and television production.
OPB "A Christmas to Remember with John Doan" seen on PBS.
OPB "A Victorian Christmas with John Doan" seen on PBS.
Vestron Video "Inner Workout" starring Shirley McClane.
John's Live Television Performances (highlights):
OPB "A Christmas to Remember with John Doan" seen on PBS.
OPB "A Victorian Christmas with John Doan" seen on PBS.
Cable Network "John Doan Live" - live concert by John Doan at Deepwood Estate, Salem, Oregon.
CBN Featured Interviews and performance, Virginia Beach, Virginia
KOMO Ch. 4 Front Runners" Featured interview, Seattle, WA.
Tra Amici - Featured interview, National Broadcast, Italy.
John's Music on National Television (highlights)
Walt Disney's "Dreams on Ice - The Nancy Kerigan Special."
HBO Movie Special "Baby", music by Jeff Dana, John Doan harp guitar.
PBS "Rufus Jones a Luminous Life" - a PBS DVD and television production.
OPB "A Christmas to Remember with John Doan" seen on PBS.
OPB "A Victorian Christmas with John Doan" seen on PBS.
Discovery Channel
HBO
PBS
Celebrity Profile
E True Hollywood Story
Home Matters
Interact Atlanta
Mysteries and Scandals
Hometime
Vins Et Fromages (Canadian Television)
Harry's Practice (Australian Television)
John's Interviews on National and International Radio (highlights):
NPR "All Things Considered - Evening Edition" Interview with Noah Adams
NPR "Echoes" Interview and performance with John Diliberto
NPR "History of the Lute" - Performance and original lute music
NPR "Hearts of Space" - Featured artist
NPR "Performance Today" Interview with Fred Childs
Radio Kerry FM 97, Tralee, Ireland Interview with Moira Begley
BBC Scotland, Glasgow, Scotland
Radio France "Evening Show" - performance and interview
KSOR and KDOV in Ashland, OR
KRVS Public Radio, Lafayette, LA
KALW San Francisco, CA
Published Interviews in Print (highlights):
Music Making Magazine, London, England
"Hybrid Guitars" Fingerstyle Guitar
"In Tune With The Past" Victoria Magazine (Hearst Corp.)
Acoustic Guitar Magazine, San Anselmo, CA
"Musical Instruments From Another Time" The Chronicle of Higher Education
Christianity Today, Carol Stream, IL
Brigits Feast - Celtic Journal of Thought Culture, History and Folklore
West Side News, Salem, OR
Statesman-Journal, Salem, OR - feature article of Life Section
Sforzando Music Magazine, Portland, OR
"Windows In Time" American Lutherie (The Guild of American Luthiers)
Portland Guitar Society Newsletter, Portland, OR
John's Published Articles:
"The Expanded Harp Guitar - Adding Possibilities with Super-Treble Strings" - Harpguitars.net
"The Inevitable Harp Guitar- Recurring Cycles in Guitar Evolution" - Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine
"Between the Strings - the Secret Lives of Guitars" introduction by B.B. King
"The Renaissance of the Harp Guitar" - Frets Magazine
"Exploring Guitar Notation" - Soundboard Magazine (GFA)
"Teaching Guitar" - Portland Guitar Society Newsletter
Record Reviews in Print (highlights):
Washington Post
Billboard Magazine
Jazziz Magazine
Acoustic Guitar
Pulse Magazine
The All Music Guide
The Globe-Times, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon
Statesman-Journal, Salem, Oregon
Daily Star-Progress, La Habra, California
International Performances:
China: Oregon's First Cultural Ambassador to the Fujian Provence
Japan: Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo International University-Kawagoe, Misawa
Canada: Vancouver, Toronto
France: Paris, Aubusson, Honfluer
Belgium: Brussels
Sweden: Goteburg
Denmark: Frederikshavn
England: London, Oxford, Cheltenham, Lindisfarne
Wales: Wrexham
Scotland: Edenburgh, Glasgow
Ireland: Dublin, Cashel, Dingle, Drogheda, Tara, Glendalough, Kildare, Portmagee, Tralee, Aran Islands, Clonmacnois
National Performances (highlights):
St. John the Divine Cathedral - New York, NY
University of Wisconsin - Madison WI
Fairbault Arts Association - Minneapolis, MN
Harp Guitar Gathering - Williamsburg. VA
Sandpoint Arts Association - Sandpoint, ID
MCT Center for the Performing Arts - Missoula, MT
Pensacola Arts Center - Pensacola, FL
Tulane University - New Orleans, LA
University of Louisiana - Lafayette, LA
Doane College - Crete, NE
New England Arts Center - Cape Cod, MA
Las Vegas Community Center - Las Vegas, NV
McCabes - Santa Monica, CA
Regional Concerts (highlights):
Portland State University, Portland
University of Portland, Portland
Willamette University, Salem
Maryhurst University, Portland
University of Seattle, Seattle
Southern Oregon University, Ashland
Western Oregon University, Monmouth
Oregon State University, Corvallis
University of Oregon, Eugene
The Hult Center, Eugene
The Rogue Theater, Grants Pass
The Liberty Theater, Astoria
Deepwood Estate, Salem
Hillsboro Arts Council, Hillsboro
Roseburg Folklore Society, Roseburg
Newport Center for the Performing Arts. Newport
Music Festivals (highlights)
S. Florida Folk Festival - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Folklife Festival, Seattle, WA
Bumpershoot, Seattle, WA
Bethlehem Folk Festival, Bethlehem, PA
Port Jefferson Irish Festival, Port Jefferson, NY
Whole Life Festival, Chicago, IL
American Music Festival, Turner, OR
Dancing Oaks Music Festival, Falls City, OR
Performance Reviews: (too numerous to mention - a sampling follows)
The Globe-Times, Bethlehem, Pa.
The Oregonian, Portland, OR
Daily Star-Progress, La Habra, CA
Lecture Demonstrations (Highlights):
"Something New From Something Old - Serious Creativity Connects The Future With The Past," Keynote address - The American Association for Creativity at Duke University, Durham, NC
"A New Style For An Old Instrument- Composing And Performing On The Harp Guitar," Portland Guitar Festival, Portland, OR
"What We Did Before Radio And TV- American Parlor Music", (sponsored by the Oregon Council for the Humanities "Chautauqua" Program)
"Recording and Performing on the Harp Guitar - Entrepreneurism in the Arts" - West Salem Business Association, Salem, OR
Guest speaker for Leadership Oregon Conference presented by the Dept. of Administrative Services for the State of Oregon - Salem, OR
Conducted tours and lectured at Sacred Sites of Ireland that included Dublin Museums, Newgrange, Slane, Hill of Tara, Glendalough, Kildare, Cashel, Skellig Michael, Aran Islands, Clonfert, and Clonmacnois
"Nehemiah Doane: Early Missionary to the Oregon Territory"- an account of the life of one of Willamette University's earliest Presidents, in Cone Chapel, Waller Hall, Willamette University - Salem, OR
"Music as a Business, Non-Traditional Entrepreneurship, Or How Does A Person Pay Their Bills When They Don't Have A Regular Job?," Salem Schools Young Entrepreneurs Workshop
"Oregon's Cultural Exchange with The Fugian Provence, People's Republic of China" Western Oregon State College and Willamette University - Monmouth and Salem, OR
Classical Guitar and Lute Studies:
California State University at Northridge B.A. Music/Performance Guitar
Western Oregon State University M.Music Ed.
Master Class - John Duarte - California State University at Northridge
Master Classes - Oscar Ghiglia - California School for the Arts
Master Class - Alice Artz - University of Oregon
Master class - Ray Ruesner, Willamette University
Master classes - Michael Lorimer, UC Berkeley and PSU
Private instruction on Ren. lute - Frank Eyler, Paris, France
Master classes - baroque lute - Toyohiko Satoh
Master classes - renaissance lute - Paul O'Dette
Master class - renaissance lute - Catherine Liddell
Private Instruction - Ron Purcell
Private Instruction - John Scammon