Harp With 200-Foot Strings To Be Played In Free Outdoor Concert Series

(Des Moines, IA) — A unique concert experience will be staged in central Iowa next week featuring what’s known as a long-string harp with strings that will extend across a downtown Des Moines street, from a rooftop to a park below. Andrea Brook is the musician who will be playing the instrument she calls the Sonic Butterfly, a 26-string acoustic, chromatic harp — though she says it sounds more like a cello or viola instead of a traditional harp as you don’t pluck the strings. Brook is based in Ojai, California and she’s taken the two-octave instrument she designed to perform in countries around the world. This will be her first Iowa appearance. Brass strings will be attached along the roof of the Des Moines Civic Center, stretched over Third Street, and down to the harp in Cowles Commons. Seven one-hour performances are scheduled from September 15th through the 17th — and all are free.