Welcome to the website of the
SPARX Flute & Harp Duo
in Wilmington, Delaware
In their collaboration since 1986, flutist Joan Sparks and harpist Anne Sullivan have attained distinction for their sharply focused mission, “to bring their music to all people”, rather than the more classical approach of waiting for people to approach the music. SPARX broad repertoire includes composers of the 20th Century such as Rodrigo, Saint-Saens and Faure as well as the exemplar works from time-honored masters Mozart, C.P.E. Bach and Vivaldi.
The duo prides themselves on their unique collaborative performances, which have
incorporated such artistic partners as First State Ballet, the By Heart Storytelling Duo, and percussionist Harvey Price. It is no wonder that composer Lowell Liebermann chose SPARX to perform the World Premiere of his Sonata for Flute and Harp, Op. 56 (1996). SPARX has garnered prestigious national awards from Chamber Music America, the American Composers Forum, and the National Flute Association.
They have performed in venues as diverse as the Tatnall School in Delaware to San Diego and New York City (where they won the National Flute Association Chamber Music Competition in 1988 and 1996), to A.I. du Pont Children’s Hospital, giving children the experience of the wonderful world of chamber music. In 2001, SPARX represented the State of Delaware at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, performing a concert of American music to salute the new millennium.
SPARX has served as Artists-in-Residence of The Laird Performing Arts Center of The Tatnall School since 1995. This residency allows them to achieve their cherished goal of creating “lifelong listeners,” and to share their love of music and performing. For six years, SPARX has presented a three-concert series; for 12 years, they have self-produced an annual Chamber Music Festival, both in Delaware. They have recorded three CDs as a duo: Reflections (1997), The Power of Two (2001), and Christmas Echoes (2002).