Below are short bios we are compiling about the harpists who played for the soundtrack to the 1966 cult classic Grand Prix. Check back later for Dorothy Victor, Gayle Levant and Carol Baum.
___________________________________
CATHERINE GOTTHOFFER
Born in Kansas, Catherine Gotthoffer's family moved to California when she was five. She studied harp under Marcel Grandjany at Juilliard Institute of Musical Arts.
Catherine was harp instructor at The California Institute of the Arts when it was founded in 1970. She has been involved in the American Harp Society from its beginning and founded the Los Angeles chapter. She was elected president of the national organization in 1968 and 1972.
_______________________________
GAIL LAUGHTON
Gail Laughton had a tremendous career as a jazz harpist and provided harp music for many films and Loony Tunes scores. His hands are featured playing the harp in The Bishop's Wife, with Cary Grant.
Gail worked closely with Harpo Marx on some of his filmed harp solos and played for the West Coast's Air Force's Radio Production Unit. Gail's beautiful classic recording Harps of the Ancient Temples was excerpted in the film Bladerunner.
____________________________________
DORIS HULTS
Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Doris Johnson Hults studied harp under Eileen Malone at the Eastman School of Music where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music in 1941.
She continued her studies at the Julliard Institute of Musical Arts under Marcel Grandjany. For many years she toured extensively with Fred Waring and The Pennsylvanians. As well as performing in a number of film scores in Hollywood, CA.
Doris also was staff harpist on several New York networks, where she played for shows such as The Big Payoff and Lights Out.
__________________________________
MARGE BUNDOCK
___________________________________
CATHERINE GOTTHOFFER
Besides performing with the New York Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, as well as jazz clubs thorughout New York, Catherine spent most of the 1950's as a contracted musician for MGM studios, although she made her first cinematic debut on violin with the Meremblum Orchestra in Paramount’s They Shall Have Music (1939).
Her harp can be heard on numerous films, including: Singing the Rain; An American in Paris; West Side Story; Gigi; Kiss Me Kate; High Society; Dr. Zhivago; The Godfather; Godfather II; My Fair Lady; Barefoot in the Park; The Color Purple and Beetlejuice.
Her harp can be heard on numerous films, including: Singing the Rain; An American in Paris; West Side Story; Gigi; Kiss Me Kate; High Society; Dr. Zhivago; The Godfather; Godfather II; My Fair Lady; Barefoot in the Park; The Color Purple and Beetlejuice.
Catherine was harp instructor at The California Institute of the Arts when it was founded in 1970. She has been involved in the American Harp Society from its beginning and founded the Los Angeles chapter. She was elected president of the national organization in 1968 and 1972.
_______________________________
GAIL LAUGHTON
Gail worked closely with Harpo Marx on some of his filmed harp solos and played for the West Coast's Air Force's Radio Production Unit. Gail's beautiful classic recording Harps of the Ancient Temples was excerpted in the film Bladerunner.
____________________________________
DORIS HULTS
She continued her studies at the Julliard Institute of Musical Arts under Marcel Grandjany. For many years she toured extensively with Fred Waring and The Pennsylvanians. As well as performing in a number of film scores in Hollywood, CA.
Doris also was staff harpist on several New York networks, where she played for shows such as The Big Payoff and Lights Out.
__________________________________
MARGE BUNDOCK
Marge Bundock, mother to harpist Kathy Bundock Moore, graduated from the Julliard Institute of Musical Arts with a degree in piano and music theory. It was not until later (when Kathy was about 6) that Marge decided to study harp.
Her principal teacher was Catherine Gotthoffer. Marge eventually landed in New York and continued her studies for a short while with Marcel Grandjany. Marge played harp for over 20 years in the Los Angeles area, which included studio work, harp accompaniment for the chorus MusArts and a steady gig at LAX's famous Theme Room, renovated
as The Encounter.
_______________________________________
STELLA CASTELLUCCI
Stella Castellucci, a native of Los Angeles, CA, is part of a musical family tradtion. Her father, Louis Castellucci, was a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and a descendant from a family of Italian symphonic bandmasters.
Stella's early harp studies were taken with Aida Mulieri Dagort, Joseph Quintile and Maryjane Mayhew Barton. She later became one of the youngest students of Mr. Alfred Kastner and completed her studies with Ann Stockton following Kastner's death.
Stella began in radio as staff musician for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in Hollywood, CA at the age of 19. Afterwhich, she entered an eight year musical relationship with famed singer and actress, Miss Peggy Lee, where she played harp in jazz sextets and quintets that backed Miss Lee during tours throughout the US.
For more than 30 Stella has and continues to offer coaching in jazz harp, recitals, workshops and lectures throughout the US. She also maintains a recording schedule that involves her own solo harp recordings and film and television scoring sessions. Her arrangements of standard and contemporary songs and ballads are well-known in the harp world.
Her principal teacher was Catherine Gotthoffer. Marge eventually landed in New York and continued her studies for a short while with Marcel Grandjany. Marge played harp for over 20 years in the Los Angeles area, which included studio work, harp accompaniment for the chorus MusArts and a steady gig at LAX's famous Theme Room, renovated
as The Encounter.
_______________________________________
STELLA CASTELLUCCI
Stella began in radio as staff musician for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in Hollywood, CA at the age of 19. Afterwhich, she entered an eight year musical relationship with famed singer and actress, Miss Peggy Lee, where she played harp in jazz sextets and quintets that backed Miss Lee during tours throughout the US.
For more than 30 Stella has and continues to offer coaching in jazz harp, recitals, workshops and lectures throughout the US. She also maintains a recording schedule that involves her own solo harp recordings and film and television scoring sessions. Her arrangements of standard and contemporary songs and ballads are well-known in the harp world.
