Rachel Clemente and Dan Houghton

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About our guest artists: Rachel Clemente and Dan Houghtonwww.rachelclementeharpist.comwww.pipingtool.co.uk

New England based pedal and traditional Scottish harpist Rachel Clemente has had a passion for music from the early age of five.  She began her harp training as a student of the Suzuki method.  In addition, she discovered her love of Scottish music through events and competitions held by the Scottish Harp Society of America and the Ohio Scottish Arts School.  Her musical education then continued at renowned arts boarding high school Interlochen Arts Academy.  In July of 2018, Rachel graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow with a bachelors degree in traditional Scottish music.  She also won the title of U.S National Scottish Harp Champion in 2016.

Dan Houghton is a Scottish piper, flautist and DADGAD guitarist currently residing in southwestern Vermont.  Winner of numerous competitions, including the Scottish Lowland and Border Pipers’ Society “Open Borderpipes” and “New Composition” events and the St. Chartier “Mâitre de Cornemuse,” he has toured and taught extensively throughout Britain, Europe, Ireland, America, Asia and the Antipodes.  He performs as a soloist as well as in various ensembles, not least amongst which may be counted the Scottish power-trad band, Cantrip, the Salsa fusion band Salsa Celtica, the more RSCDS based Parcel of Rogues, the “Celtic” Rock band Prydein and, more recently, Piper’s Den.