Pedal harps can cost $70,000 — far more than lever harps, which cost $2,000 to $9,000. At first glance, a pedal harp looks like a simple frame with a row of strings. But there are complicated ...

A harp is more likely to heard than seen, the wooden curve of its neck peering above the second violins. “Most of the time it’s color. You don’t get to hear a harp carry a line — not for very long, at ...