Board of Directors

     Eileen Mason was born in San Diego, CA where she began studying harp with her mother and subsequently with Mary Alyn Jones. 

She attended the Music Academy of the West and has a B.M. in Harp from the University of Redlands (CA) where her major teacher was Marjorie Call. Other teachers included Anna Bukay, Joel Andrews, Linda Wellbaum and Lucile Lawrence. 

Eileen has held principal harp positions with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Kansas City Philharmonic and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, from which she retired in 2002. Other orchestral and solo experience includes the Festival de Jeunes Solistes in Nice, France, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Ft. Wayne (Ind) Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

She has been responsible for creating American Harp Society chapters in Kansas City and Baltimore and under her leadership, the Baltimore Charm City Chapter won Chapter of the Year in 2001-2002. Eileen is a Lifetime Member of the American Harp Society. 

  Harpist Naomi Alter received her Bachelor of Music degree in harp at Oberlin Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Alice Chalifoux. She has studied with Jeanne Chalifoux at the Salzedo Harp Colony in Maine, and at Tanglewood Music Festival with Lucile Lawrence.

She has taught harp at Louisiana State University and performed with the Toledo, Baton Rouge, La Jolla, Palomar and Grossmont Symphonies. She has been a concerto soloist recently with the Poway Symphony Orchestra, the Song of the Angels Flute Orchestra and the Crown City Symphony in Pasadena.
Since 1987, Naomi has performed at many weddings and special events and teaching in the San Diego area. 

Barbara is a San Diego native, who studied harp for 10 years with Joanne Ford, before heading off to UC Santa Barbara, where she studied under Lou Anne Neill. After transferring to UC Berkeley to finish her Bachelors degree (in Political Science), she focused on education. While in Berkeley, she studied with Anne Adams. 

Barbara has a MEd with a focus on Cross Cultural and Bilingual Education from San Diego State, and 40 years working with refugee students and their families in the public schools. She returned to her harp during the pandemic.

Barbara brings 5 years of experience working on the board a 501(c)(3), both as a member at large, executive secretary, and president of Mothers And Daughters Club Assisting Philanthropies (MADCAPs). 

Nick came to San Diego in November of 2019 to be the Director of Advancement, Annual Fund for the San Diego Symphony. He came here from Seattle, Washington where he served for 8 years as Director of Development at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB).  Prior to ISB, he served as the Director of Development at the Alzheimer Association, Washington State Chapter and at Music of Remembrance.  He relocated to Seattle in 2005 from New York City where he spent 20 years in the field of social work and was a founder of SeniorBridge, a for-profit, full-service elder and chronic care company.  He began his work life as a pit-orchestra harpist for musical theatre productions on and off Broadway.

Nick holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education and Performance from the University of Oregon, a Masters of Music Performance in Harp from the Manhattan School of Music and a Masters of Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work in New York City.

  Tasha Smith Godinez is a performer, composer and music teacher based in San Diego, California. Ms. Smith Godinez is passionate about augmenting the repertoire for her instrument and has dedicated much of her career to commissioning, performing, and recording new music for the harp. It is also a goal of Tasha’s to help change the common assumptions of the harp and its musical capabilities. Tasha holds both a BM and MM in music performance from San Diego State University as well as a performance diploma from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, Alfred Cortot in Paris, France. 

Ms. Smith Godinez is the harp professor at the University of San Diego and Palomar College as well as director of the San Diego Harp Academy.  She also is the owner of Ennanga Records & Publishing whose focus is directed to publishing new pieces for the harp and recordings of music by living composers and improvisational styles. Tasha is a former president of the San Diego Harp Society. 

Sophie Camden is a San Diego-based harpist and teacher. A classically-trained harpist, Sophie won four solo competitions in 18 months from 2013-2014, which led to performances in Hong Kong, Washington D.C., and at the American Harp Society’s 51st National Conference in New Orleans.

Sophie enjoys performing with other musicians and has played with the La Jolla Symphony Orchestra for five seasons, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and various local community orchestras across San Diego.

She particularly enjoys playing in the pit orchestra for musicals. Favorites include the Pittsburgh stop of the national tour of the Tony-award winning production of The King and I as well as The Light In The Piazza and Sunday In The Park With George, both with CCAE Theatricals. The San Diego Union-Tribune called out Sophie by name in its review of Sunday, calling her performance “of note.”

As a teacher, Sophie enjoys teaching students of all ages. She strives to be a kind but demanding teacher, balancing the cultivation of discipline with fun along the way.

Miki was born and raised in Japan, where she developed a passion for the traditional Japanese harp, known as the koto, alongside her dedication to gymnastics. Her journey took a turn towards dance when she pursued training in modern dance at the Ailey School in New York City. This path led her to travel with various musical theater companies before settling in Los Angeles, where she met her husband.

In Los Angeles, Miki delved into diverse dance forms, specializing in Adagio, which involves continuous lifts, tricks, and dips. Her dedication paid off as she earned the title of California Open Adagio Champion. Drawing on her extensive dance background, she now shares her expertise as an independent instructor specializing in wedding dances, enriching the lives of many couples with her teaching.

Beyond her dance career, Miki plays a crucial role as an administrator at a local Ballet Academy, where she finds joy in nurturing young artists at the start of their creative journeys. As the proud mother of a talented student harpist, she serves as a parent board member of ADHS, where she actively supports the harp community.

Miki rediscovered her joy and passion for the classical pedal harp through her daughter's journey as a developing harpist. Witnessing her daughter's dedication and progress reignited Miki's own love for the harp, inspiring her to integrate her unique blend of skills and perspectives to enrich and diversify the harp community on multiple levels.

Julie Smith Phillips is the Principal Harpist of the San Diego Symphony.  Silver medalist in the 2004 USA International Harp Competition and Bronze medalist in 2001, Ms. Phillips is an active chamber musician, soloist & teacher. Founder of The Myriad Trio (fl, vla, hp), she regularly performs as guest artist on concert series programs in San Diego & across the country.  Ms. Phillips received her BM & MM degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with Yolanda Kondonassis.  Other former teachers include Alice Chalifoux and Patrice Lockhart.  Ms. Phillips has served on the board of the San Diego Harp Society since 2009 and is a Lifetime Member of the American Harp Society. 

Russian Harpist Elena Mashkovtseva is known for her impeccable technique, grace, and elegance. She is a soloist, chamber musician, and dedicated teacher. Ms. Mashkovtseva is a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where she studied with the celebrated harpist Vera Dulova. 

 Ms. Mashkovtseva has appeared with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Nova, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, and the Hutchins Consort.  As a chamber musician, she appears regularly with Camarada and DUO ELENA with flutist Elena Yarritu. Ms. Mashkovtseva is Professor of Harp at San Diego State University and has her own private studio in San Diego. 

Her students have won many local and national competitions, and have gone on to study at major colleges/conservatories here in the U.S. and abroad. 

Ms. Mashkovtseva currently serves as Vice-President of the San Diego Harp Society and is a sought-after judge for national competitions.