Danielleriegel.harpist
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As AI continues to transform the creative world, I’ve been reflecting on what makes live music so unique 🎶
Technology can help us create, edit and share music, but a performance is about much more than notes and sound.
Every interpretation carries years of dedication, practice, life experience, challenges and growth.
Technique, phrasing, timing and tone are not ends in themselves; they are the language through which we express our most authentic self.
For me, music has always been about connection.
Not only between performer and listener, but also with our inner world.
When I perform, I prepare as carefully inwardly as I do musically.
Through Qigong, nature walks and taking care of myself physically, emotionally and mentally, I try to become completely present.
It is from that place that I hope the music can flow freely through me, not only expressing something of my own heart and soul, but also something universal that connects us all.
I believe that’s what touches people most deeply. My hope is that, whether someone comes to one of my concerts or listens at home, they won’t only hear the music, but feel it deeply. That it becomes a moment to reconnect with their own emotions, intuition and inspiration.
Those moments of presence, shared listening and genuine connection are what continue to inspire my work, and they shape every artistic choice behind my concerts and my upcoming album Oltremare.
I believe they are also what makes live music irreplaceable ✨
I’d love to hear your thoughts: what role do you think live music will play in an increasingly digital world?
Music: Natural light from Ludovico Einaudi by Danielle Riegel on Harp
💿 Pre-save my album now, soon available on all streaming platforms: https://orcd.co/jrelnkz
💙 Next Harp & Sound Journey at on September 13th
10/08/2026
Letters from Danielle - The Making of Oltremare
What does it really take to make an album?
For me, it started long before the first note was recorded, with a question about how I wanted this music to feel and what kind of listening experience I wanted to create.
In this week’s Letter from Danielle, I’m taking you behind the scenes of the recording of Oltremare: finding the right recording engineer and the right sound, choosing the recording space, and spending three intense days in the studio searching for the most authentic and expressive interpretation.
I also share what happened after the recording - the weeks of listening, mixing and mastering, and the process of reflecting on the music and the artistic choices behind the album.
🎥 Together with some behind-the-scenes footage, this is a little glimpse into the making of Oltremare.
And at the end of the letter, there’s also an announcement: my first single, Primavera, will be released on 21 August 🌺
If you’d like to read the full story and receive my Letters from Danielle, you can sign up via the link in my bio ✨
06/08/2026
Full Moon Rise Concert with NUJUM at Songbird Amphitheatre ✨
Many people here know me through my solo harp concerts, my laydown concerts and sound journeys. What fewer people know is that my musical path has always been one of exploration.
I was classically trained from a young age and later spent 15 wonderful years as principal harpist of the Symphony Orchestra of The Hague. That foundation shaped me profoundly and will always be part of who I am.
Yet even during my conservatory years, I found myself drawn to musical worlds beyond the traditional repertoire.
I worked closely with contemporary composers, performing world premieres and pieces written especially for me.
I immersed myself in historical performance practice, studying basso continuo, Renaissance harp (arpa doppia) and viola da gamba, discovering entirely different ways of listening and making music.
Over the years, my curiosity led me into collaborations with dancers, theatre productions and film, and later towards world and folk music and sound healing work.
Each chapter expanded my musical language.
But perhaps even more importantly, it expanded the way I listen and connect - with my instrument, the music, the people around me and the world I play in.
Last Wednesday, with Nujum Ensemble , I tried to challenge myself again 🙃
I stepped into a more rhythmic, jazz-inspired and improvisational style. It was definitely outside my comfort zone, but so much fun. It definitely left me wanting more!
A heartfelt thank you to these awesome musicians, I hope we meet again soon! 🎶
And thank you to Ralph Vogelsang , whose vision brought the Songbird Amphitheatre to life: a magical place where music, nature and people come together in harmony 💕
Performing there as the full moon rose above the hills felt truly special 🌕
📸 Dave Kutschenreiter
06/08/2026
Full Moon Rise Concert with NUJUM at Songbird Amphitheatre
Many people here know me through my solo harp concerts, my laydown concerts and sound journeys. What fewer people know is that my musical path has always been one of exploration.
I was classically trained from a young age and later spent 15 wonderful years as principal harpist of the Symphony Orchestra of The Hague. That foundation shaped me profoundly and will always be part of who I am.
Yet even during my conservatory years, I found myself drawn to musical worlds beyond the traditional repertoire.
I worked closely with contemporary composers, performing world premieres and pieces written especially for me.
I immersed myself in historical performance practice, studying basso continuo, Renaissance harp (arpa doppia) and viola da gamba, discovering entirely different ways of listening and making music.
Over the years, my curiosity led me into collaborations with dancers, theatre productions and film, and later towards world and folk music and sound healing work.
Each chapter expanded my musical language.
But perhaps even more importantly, it expanded the way I listen and connect - with my instrument, the music, the people around me and the world I play in.
Last Wednesday, with Nujum Ensemble , I tried to challenge myself again 🙃
I stepped into a more rhythmic, jazz-inspired and improvisational style. It was definitely outside my comfort zone, but so much fun. It definitely left me wanting more!
A heartfelt thank you to these awesome musicians, I hope we meet again soon! 🎶
And thank you to Ralph Vogelsang , whose vision brought the Songbird Amphitheatre to life: a magical place where music, nature and people come together in harmony 💕
Performing there as the full moon rose above the hills felt truly special 🌕
📸 Dave Kutschenreiter
03/08/2026
Letters from Danielle
For a long time, I’ve wanted to create a more personal way of staying in touch.
Tomorrow morning I’ll be sending the very first Letter from Danielle, a new newsletter where I’ll share the stories behind the music, what happens behind the scenes, the inspiration behind my upcoming album Oltremare, and the journey leading up to its release.
In this first letter, I’ll look back on my Spring Tour through the Netherlands and France, share a special recap video, and tell a little about recording my new album.
If you’d like to receive these letters and follow this journey from the inside, I’d love to welcome you.
✨ Sign up via the link in my bio before tomorrow morning.
I can’t wait to share this new chapter with you.
💛 Danielle
Nefeli by Ludovico Einaudi, recorded live on May 3rd in the French alps, during the final concert of my spring tour, just two weeks after completing the recording sessions for my upcoming album, Oltremare in the Netherlands 🎶
This concert felt like the perfect conclusion to an intense artistic journey. After months of preparation and three long days in the recording studio, I had the opportunity to perform the complete programme once more in the intimate atmosphere of this beautiful chapel 💒
Nefeli is one of the most delicate and intimate pieces on the album. Named after the Greek word for cloud and inspired by the joyful daughter of close friends of Einaudi, it carries a great sense of lightness and tenderness. Its simplicity is deceptive: every phrase, every breath and every colour has to feel completely natural. There is very little to hide behind.
That evening was like the cherry on top of my tour. The warmth of Sylvie’s hospitality and wonderful organisation, the charming village of Charly, the attentive audience, and months of preparations, concerts and album recording sessions - everything fell into place. As a musician, these are wonderful moments to cherish: when you can completely relax, let go, and simply allow the music to flow through you. Moments when technique, expression and emotion become one ✨
My heartfelt thanks to Sylvie and to everyone who joined us and made the final concert of my tour such a memorable one 🙏
My first single, Primavera, will be released on 21 August, followed by the full album Oltremare on 16 October.
I can’t wait to share it with you ❤️🔥
🎥 Full video on my youtube channel - link in bio
One of the most inspiring aspects of artistic practice is discovering how creativity moves from one discipline to another 💫
After attending one of my concerts at Le Reposoir, visual artist Sylvie began creating the final panel of a wooden triptych.
In the accompanying video, she shares something that deeply resonated with me.
She explains that she doesn’t create intellectually.
She first seeks a particular inner state, a space where intuition, emotion and creativity come together.
Throughout the months she worked on this final piece, she listened to my music as part of that process 🎶
Watching her describe this reminded me that creativity is rarely linear.
One work of art often becomes the starting point for another.
That dialogue between artists is one of the greatest privileges of working in the arts 💛
Thank you, Sylvie, for sharing your process so generously 🙏
Your work is a beautiful reminder that the value of art often lies not only in what it expresses, but also in what it awakens in others ✨
03/07/2026
Art Inspires Art
Shortly after reflecting on - and sharing - the story of the drawing Edgar Jansen made during one of my concerts 25 years ago, something very special happened.
Another artist reached out to me.
After attending my concert at the Chartreuse du Reposoir in the French Alps, visual artist Sylvie Crétin returned home carrying the experience with her.
She later told me she hadn’t been able to sleep after the concert.
Over the following months, she listened to my music while creating the third and final panel of an extraordinary triptych on wood, using pyrography and oil painting. ✨
Receiving photographs throughout the creative process - and eventually seeing the completed work - touched me deeply. 💛
I used to think of myself as a classical musician who performed concerts.
But moving to Portugal, living close to nature, and spending quiet moments by the ocean every day have profoundly transformed me.
Today, music has become much more than performance.
For me, it is a way to connect.
To first open my own heart to the music, and to share it as honestly and authentically as I can.
If, in doing so, someone else feels invited to open theirs - to be moved, and to reconnect with their emotions, imagination and creativity - then I feel deeply grateful.
Moments like these remind me why I continue this path.
Merci beaucoup, chère Sylvie, for this beautiful artwork 🙏
I feel deeply honoured that my concert became part of your creative journey ✨
Carousel
1. Arpège Céleste – Sylvie’s artwork
2. Video: Nefeli by Ludovico Einaudi, performed live at Le Reposoir (2 May 2026)
3. The completed triptych
4. Chartreuse du Reposoir
5. Sylvie Crétin:
“Behind the apparent fragility of a woman lies an invisible spiritual strength.
“My art seeks depth. My brush shapes the material to reveal the story, the intention and the light that vibrate behind every artwork.”
My new album featuring the music of Ludovico Einaudi will be released by Challenge Records International on 16 October 💥
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