AHJ, Vol. 7 No. 4, Winter 1980

Meet the New Officers. • •
Since most of our members have no contact with the national
officers of the American Harp Society, I have asked
each one to provide a brief autobiography and photograph;
these are reproduced below.
-Ed.
President
PEARL CHERTOK is a native of Laconia, NH. She
studied flute with James Pappoutsakis of the Boston
Symphony, piano with William Harms, and harp with
Marjorie Tyre, Carlos Salzedo at the Curtis Institute
of Music, and Marcel Grandjany.
Ms. Chertok was staff harpist for the Columbia
Broadcasting System in New York City for many
years and was a regular guest artist on musical programs
featuring her own compositions. As a champion
of new music for the harp, she devotes much
time and energy to the study and presentation of both
solo and chamber works. She has recorded nine record
albums.
Ms. Chertok directs a summer seminar at Sarah
Lawrence College and teaches at several of the colleges
in the New York area as affiliate artist faculty.
She has served on the juries of the Concert Artists'
Guild in New York City for many years, judging all
instrumentalists, and on the Jury of the International
Harp Competition in Jerusalem and national competitions
in Italy and Great Britain.
Sylvia Meyer
72
Chairman of the Board
Pearl Chertok
A native of Wisconsin and Phi Beta Kappa graduate
of the geology department, University of Wisconsin,
SYLVIA MEYER moved to Washington, DC at an
early age, and began harp study at age seven.
Graduate, Peabody Conservatory of Music; professional
coaching with the late Carlos Salzedo in
Maine and in New York. Principal harpist and frequent
soloist with National Symphony Orchestra
1933- 66. Washington Opera Orchestra. Harpist in
Holiday Magazine's first-chair roster for the "All­
American Dream Orchestra." Local and network TV
and radio appearances; solo and chamber music recitals;
teaching. Introduced many new compositions
in her varied performances. Retired 1972. Active in
AHS locally since 1963 (organized Washington DC
Chapter). Active in AHS nationally since 1969:
Mid-Atlantic Regional Director; Chairman, Chapter
Committee; Director-At-Large; First Vice President;
Chairman of the Board. Has also served on Harp
Literature Committee, judged national playing competitions,
judged International Composition Contest,
performed and presented workshops at AHS national
conferences, written articles for Harp News and
American Harp Journal. Married to Oliver Gasch,
Judge, United States District Court for the District of
Columbia. Their son is an attorney in private practice.
AMERICAN HARP JOURNAL