Sunita

Classically trained as a virtuoso on the Celtic harp, Sunita—born Sunita Staneslow—commands both Celtic and Jewish musical traditions with equal authority. After completing her studies at the Manhattan School of Music, she has continued to place her instrument in an array of contexts, performing not only as a soloist but also in two distinct duos. One pairs her with Scottish smallpipes, flute, concertina player, and vocalist Laura MacKenzie in explorations of Celtic repertoire, while the other unites her with cellist Laura Sewell for programs spanning Jewish music and the classical canon.

Sunita further extends her reach through the ensemble Vida, which she maintains alongside Sewell, violinist Terry Elliot, and percussionist Jay Johnson; the group’s recording Acoustic Passion climbed into Taiwan’s Top Ten. She also appears with the traditional Celtic outfit Northern Gael, a quartet completed by MacKenzie and two additional musicians that regularly welcomes Irish step dancers to its stage and has issued the album Crossing the Shannon. On the concert platform she has served as featured soloist with both the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israeli Philharmonic.

Separately, Sunita has committed to disc four collections of holiday music—Christmas Harp, Boughs of Holly, Christmas Day, and Christmas Eve—drawn from the private yuletide holdings of Peter Hendrickson, music director of Westminster Presbyterian Church.