“Contemporary, but with a unique depth of understanding of tradition, Janet Harbison embodies Irish harping at its most appealing, original and vibrant.”
Sean Rafferty, BBC
“Our national treasure”
Former Irish President Mary McAleese
“The Irish Harp Centre is a monumental achievement….”
Michael D Higgins, President of Ireland
"Janet, your music – it’s wonderful’"
Bill Clinton, Former President of the USA
“Janet Harbison, Queen of the Irish Harp”
The American Folk Harp Journal
"As Riverdance popularised Irish dancing and Brendan Voyage brought the uilleann pipes to a wider public, so the [Irish] Harp Orchestra is animating a huge interest in the Irish harp - and it's almost entirely due to Janet and her modern mix with tradition...."
Anne Hailes, The Irish News
"There is, perhaps, no other event in the opening festival of the Belfast Waterfront Hall which reflects so accurately the wishes of the organisers that the prestigious new venue should provide something for everyone in our … community as much as the concert by the [Irish] Harp Orchestra, with guests Tommy Sands and the Fieldmarshal Montgomery Pipe Band. While uniting the audience in an evening of music, song and dance, the seemingly opposing elements of our musical traditions also unite with one another in a universal celebration of cultures."...
Damian Murray, Music Critic, The Irish News
"a spectacular success story" ...
"Janet Harbison is an indomitable lady. Having assembled a cast of more than 70 for the Belfast Harp Orchestra's showcase at the Waterfront, she was not going to let a serious dose of 'flu stand in her way ..... [the whole cast] more than achieved their stated aim of presenting the music, song and dance of Ulster in magnificent fashion."
(Opening concert of Belfast Waterfront Hall) - Geoff Harden, Music Critic, Newsletter
"The Irish Harp Orchestra …… have performed to great acclaim in France and America and have just returned from a tour of England. Their presiding genius is Janet Harbison who is one of Ireland's most accomplished - and I can say, radical traditional harpists."
Sean Rafferty, BBC 3
"Janet Harbison: the human dynamo dedicated to spreading the gospel of the harp"
Irish Music Magazine
"Janet Harbison is one of Ireland's greatest champions of harp music..."
Jim Sheridan, BBC
"The CD Carillon is entirely professional, faultless, has perfect sound and acoustic presence and is highly delightful and charming. The music is wonderfully attractive, so intelligently arranged and laid out, and the performances are technically impeccable, neat and always most subtle, musical and expressive. It's fun to listen and imagine its only one harp playing for tuning and ensemble are so good that one can do just that, and one realises that if it were only one solo harp, then what the heck of a good player he or she might be!! "This CD is now certainly one of the loveliest musical treasures we have. I expect it to automatically win many big prizes, to be very well received everywhere and to emboss [Janet Harbison's] illustrious name firmly throughout the world."
Derek Bell, Harper with the Chieftains