About Harptallica

Ashley Lancz Toman

Ashley Lancz Toman began playing harp and studying music at the age of 15 in Traverse City, Michigan. Three years later she was accepted to the prestigious Eastman School of Music where she earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees in harp performance and served as a harp teaching assistant.

Ashley's career as a freelance harpist has taken her all over the United States. She performed twice daily as the harpist in residence at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan for five seasons. Her group Harptallica, a Metallica tribute, has toured extensively. The group is a harp duo committed to expanding the accessibility and audience of the instrument. With Harptallica, she has made performance appearances on the WGN-TV and FOX networks as well as on various radio stations throughout the country.

Since moving to Louisiana, Ashley has appeared with the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, and the Louisiana Philharmonic.

She now resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where she maintains a busy freelance schedule and teaches privately.

Mollie Marcuson

Mollie Marcuson is in her second season as principal harpist of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, and fourth season as harpist for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. In addition to performing with ROCO and the SPCO, she appears regularly with the Houston, San Antonio, Kansas City and Shreveport Symphonies. As an orchestra member, she has played under conductors such as Andreas Delfs, Douglas Boyd, Larry Rachleff, Hans Graf, Giancarlo Guerrero, and Gunther Schuller. Her chamber music experience ranges from harp standards like Saint-Saens' Fantasy for violin and harp and Debussy's Sonate for Flute, Viola and Harp, to larger works such as Berio's Folk Songs, which she performed with Dawn Upshaw and members of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2008.

Ms. Marcuson is also an enthusiast for new music, performing with Houston organizations such as Musiqa and the Foundation for Modern Music, as well as more casual events such as a recent house concert of pieces based on the melodies from Stockhausen's Tierkreis, held by local composers Elliot Cole, and Brad and Doug Balliett. She also participated in the SPCO's 2007 recording of works by George Tsontakis, and a recording of Karim Al-Zand's Duet for Viola and Harp, due out later this year. Less orthodox musical pursuits include her new status as rotating member of the Metallica tribute harp duo, Harptallica.

In addition to performing, she has been teaching harp since 2000, and is currently on the faculty Stephen F. Austin State University, and at the American Festival for the Arts Summer Music Conservatory in Houston. Ms. Marcuson began playing the harp at age seven in her home town of Kansas City. She received her bachelor's degree in harp performance from the University of Minnesota in the spring of 2003, and her master's degree in harp performance in 2006 from the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University. Her primary instructors include Paula Page, Deborah Wells-Clark, Kathy Kienzle, Francis Miller and Alice Chalifoux.

Patricia Kline

Patricia fell in love with the harp at the age of five, but didn't begin playing until she was twelve. She studied with Maria Stanzweska and Felice Pomeranz before pursuing her BM and MM with Kathleen Bride at the Eastman School of Music. Aside from Metallica, Patricia also enjoys playing contemporary classical and orchestral music. She has spent summers performing in the pit at the Ohio Light Opera.