Harposphere
2023 ...
HARPOSPHERE has been located since January 2023 under one of the arches of the Viaduc des Arts, at 107 Avenue Daumesnil in Paris 12th arrondissement, in the Gare de Lyon neighborhood, close to the Opéra Bastille.
Managed since 2022 by brothers Raphaël and Nicolas Budin, HARPOSPHERE continues the legacy of the family business Le Magasin De La Harpe, with its expertise and over 45 years of experience, making it the oldest establishment specializing in harps in France today.
The Harposphere Team
Magdeleine et Didier Budin: Founders
Nicolas Budin: Partner
Raphaël Budin: Managing Partner
Christophe Joniot: Workshop Manager
Agnès Servolle: Sales Manager, Harp Teacher
Sylvain Blassel: Publishing Director at Harposphere Editions
Hippolyte Budin: Communications Officer
Magdeleine and Didier Budin's Magasin de la Harpe
1977
The Workshops
Faced with high quotes and long waiting times to have her harp repaired, Magdeleine Budin, a harpist, suggested to her husband Didier Budin that he try to intervene himself. After a period of disassembly and observation, followed by adjustment and repair, the intervention seemed successful. Immediately, harpist friends and colleagues also brought their instruments, allowing Didier to learn and gain experience. Gradually, as his talent became known, the idea of professionalizing imposed itself. Magdeleine and Didier Budin founded Le Magasin de la Harpe and set up their first workshop at their home, at 1 rue de l'Arc de Triomphe, in Paris 17th arrondissement. Initially, they offered minor maintenance and adjustments, then more substantial repairs, and quickly responded to all kinds of requests on all types of harps, Celtic and large, old and recent.
Very soon, Le Magasin De La Harpe began distributing small lever harps from Walton, Aoyama, and the first Camac harps in France. With the goal of making the harp as accessible as possible, the shop became the first establishment in France to offer a rental service for small harps.
The reputation of Le Magasin de la Harpe was built on services that met harpists' needs, along with a warm and professional welcome. Magdeleine and Didier Budin formed friendships with many harpists who strongly encouraged them to establish themselves in more suitable premises.
1980
From the early 1980s, Magdeleine and Didier Budin opened a shop right next to the Arc de Triomphe, at 3 rue du Général Lanrezac, a store that would quickly become essential for most harpists. The decades to come opened up a new dynamic, at the very roots of today's HARPOSPHERE identity. Very early on, Le Magasin De La Harpe offered the most comprehensive selection of harp sheet music (LYRA Editions exclusivity in France), as well as a wide variety of accessories and strings for all brands and types of harps. As for the workshop, it ensured maintenance, upkeep, and repairs of harps of all brands, models, and eras.
Following the cessation of Joseph Barg's activities, Le Magasin De La Harpe then took over the distribution of Russian Lunarchaskovo harps, particularly the famous Series 9. Finally, 1980 also marked the beginning of a long partnership with the brand new American Venus harps, lasting until their company closed in 2018.
Les locaux du 3 rue du Général Lanrezac, à Paris 17°
1983
As the shop became increasingly cramped, Le Magasin De La Harpe opened a new space dedicated to sales in larger premises, 20 meters away at 14 Avenue Carnot. The premises on Rue Lanzerac were now devoted to workshop activities.
In addition to selling new harps, they began offering second-hand harps, whether recent, antique, or collectible, all serviced by Didier Budin. It was also from 1983 that Le Magasin de la Harpe started offering new BUDIN brand strings; gut strings (until 1996) and wound strings with red C's and black F's (still produced today).
At the same time, Le Magasin De La Harpe offered harp lessons in the basement of Avenue Carnot, and occasionally organized large-scale events, such as the highly anticipated June 21st harp celebrations: in 1985 at Place du Louvre, in 1986 at the Théâtre du Rond-point des Champs-Élysées, the following year on a privatized river boat, etc.
The events organized by Le Magasin de la Harpe provided opportunities to commission and publish original works such as "Final pour une Fête" by Bernard Galais, or "Rond-Point" by Nicolas Brochot and Frédérique Garnier.
Magdeleine et Didier Budin au magasin du 14 avenue Carnot, à Paris 17°
1984
Édition du Manuel d’entretien par Didier Budin (illustrations de Edmond Potier et rédaction par Marc Budin)
1987
The publication of harp sheet music has always been marginal among music publishers, who have rarely taken the risk of publishing works deemed unprofitable on a large scale. It is in this context that Éditions Harposphère was created, the first truly specialized in harp music in Europe.
From the start, Éditions Harposphère primarily focused on didactic sheet music written by recognized educators, yet at low prices to promote the spread of the harp. Works by Annie Challan, Sylvie Beltrando, Bernard Andrès, Serge Lancen, Frédérique Garnier, Dia Succari, Bernard Galais, and others were published. The Harposphère catalog has grown over the years to become one of the world's leading publishers specializing in harp music.
That same year, the workshop welcomed cabinetmaker Stéphane Couespel, who would mainly work on restoring antique harps until he opened his own cabinet making company. The workshop's activities thus took a turn, adding the complete restoration of antique harps to the maintenance and repair of modern harps.
La toute première partition aux Editions Harposphere, en 1987, avec sa couverture de couleur et son grand logo reconnaissable au premier cour d'oeil
Martine Géliot interprétant les Variations sur un Thème de Mozart de Glinka
21 juin 1987 sur un bateau-mouche privatisé
1988
Alexandre Budin, the second son of Magdeleine and Didier, joins the team, shortly followed by Christophe Joniot, who is now the workshop manager at HARPOSPHERE.
Still aiming to promote the harp and make it accessible to the most modest budgets, Magdeleine and Didier Budin launch a new harp, completely revolutionary in its morphology and manufacturing processes. After a long period of research and experimentation that began in September 1986, the Pandora model is finally available: the first truly successful harp is produced in December 1988. Made of durable composite material, this single-action harp appears as a synthesis between the first small Erards of the early 19th century and modern technologies. With manufacturing costs and times reduced to a minimum, the Pandora thus becomes the most accessible pedal harp in the entire history of the instrument, allowing a large number of young harpists to access this instrument despite a very tight budget.
The Tradition
The spacing and length of the strings are inspired by 19th and 20th century French-made harps, as well as the dimensions of the soundbox.
The harps regain the variety of colors known to harpists of the First Empire.
The Innovations
Armonite, which replaces wood, is a material made with a mixture of fibers bound by resins that ensure greater mechanical and geometric fidelity.
This manufacturing process, inspired by cutting-edge technologies, offers optimal resistance with a greatly reduced weight.
The mechanical transmission by cables does not include connecting rivets, which are the source of most internal vibrations and re-pinning. As a result, any repairs and adjustments are extremely simplified.
Modèle Pandora, harpe 36 cordes, mécanique à simple mouvement
1991
In line with this new harp, the Galatée model emerges from the Budin workshops thanks to research undertaken since June 1988, when experiments around the Pandora were already well advanced.
Still made of composite material, this harp is based this time on 19th-century English harps with 43 double-action strings. Adopting the Kevlar cable transmission system from the Pandora instead of the usual steel rods, its mechanics are completely revolutionary, particularly due to its perfectly autonomous and independent natural and sharp lines. Similarly, the Galatée is launched with a price that defies all competition to reach the widest possible audience.
Modèle Pandora, harpe 36 cordes, mécanique à simple mouvement
1993
Following the bankruptcy of the subcontracting workshops for composite materials, the production of these new harps is permanently halted. However, the prototypes, from 1990, of a new 47-string pedal harp, the Atlantis (Camac's Atlantide Prestige would be released in 1996, but the similarity of their names is purely coincidental), and those of a small lever harp, the Irin, promised great success for these new models. In total, more than 500 Budin harps were manufactured in less than four years.
Le Magasin De La Harpe therefore refocuses its activities on its core business, which is the sale of new and used instruments, accessories, strings and sheet music, as well as repairs and adjustments. Éditions Harposphère continues to enrich its catalog with new sheet music from recognized harpists and pedagogues (Sabine Chefson, Laurence Bancaud, Freddy Alberti, Dominig Bouchaud, Maïté Etcheverry...), but also from non-harpist composers (Pierre Vellones, Jean-Michel Damase, Serge Natra..).
1994
In addition to Venus and Lunacharskovo harps, Le Magasin de la Harpe now represents Japanese Aoyama pedal harps, of which it had already been importing small lever harps since the store's creation in 1977.
1995
Anne-Laure Depret, the partner of Alexandre Budin, joins the shop's team.
De gauche à droite : Anne-Laure Depret, Halina Mignard, Magdeleine Budin, Christophe Joniot, Martine Balbaud, Didier Budin, Duc Hoang-Minh et Alexandre Budin
2000
From the early 2000s, the Budin couple increasingly entrusted the keys of the shop to their son Alexandre and his partner Anne-Laure. Active for twelve years already within the shop, Alexandre had quickly oriented himself towards woodworking and the restoration of antique harps using authentic artisanal techniques (traditional glues, French polish varnishing, etc.).
The catalog of Éditions Harposphère continued to grow, gradually becoming a reference edition for all harpists, particularly since the success of Jean-Michel Damase's Tango for solo harp, commissioned for the Laskine Competition in 2002.
De gauche à droite : Duc Hang-Minh, Anne-Laure Depret et Nicolas Budin, dans l'atelier du Général Lanrezac
Vidéo de Jean-Michel Damase déchiffrant son Tango sur le piano Pleyel du Magasin avenue Carnot pendant une réception le 04/12/2004 (Magdeleine Budin lui tourne les pages)
Tango de Jean-Michel Damase, éditions Harposphere
2007
After thirty years of intense activity, Magdeleine and Didier finally delegate the management of Le Magasin De La Harpe to their son Alexandre and Anne-Laure Depret. For the following 10 years, Anne-Laure and Alexandre maintain the activities initiated by the parents. Éditions Harposphère continues its development, with new sheet music from Pierrick Houdy, Fabrice Pierre, Elena Polonska, Béatrice Guillermin, Emmanuel Ducreux, Nicolas Tulliez, Sylvain Blassel, Alexandre Ouzounoff, Aurélie Barbé, Agnès Alouges, Gabriel Verdalle, Isabelle Marie, Vincent Ghadimi...It is also at the very beginning of this year 2007 that Le Magasin De La Harpe starts distributing American Dusty Strings lever harps.
Anne-Laure Depret en avril 2007
2011
For practical reasons, the shop separates from its historic boutique on Avenue Carnot to return to its first address at 3 rue du Général Lanzerac, replacing the workshop, which moves to the foot of Montmartre at 55 rue du Poteau, in a more suitable space.
Le nouveau magasin du 3 rue du Général Lanrezac, en 2016
2018
Shortly after the passing of Anne-Laure Depret, the workshop moves to the Saint-Ouen flea market alongside antique dealers and other specialists in antique furniture and paintings, in an even larger space.
Agnès Servolle, a harpist, joins the shop. She is now responsible for sales and a harp teacher in the Harposphere class (created in 2023).
Alexandre Budin dans le nouvel atelier de Saint-Ouen
Harposphere
2022
While Le Magasin De La Harpe managed to survive the Covid-19 crisis, Alexandre Budin nevertheless decides to leave Paris to start his own harp technician business. The management of Le Magasin De La Harpe is then entrusted to the two other sons of Magdeleine and Didier Budin: Raphaël, the eldest, and Nicolas, the youngest.
2023
The two brothers profoundly reform the shop's activities. These changes are such that a new identity is necessary, and the shop and workshop merge to become HARPOSPHERE, named after the historical editions.
HARPOSPHERE thus combines the two main activities and is located a few steps from Gare de Lyon and Opéra Bastille (therefore particularly accessible, by metro lines 1, 5, 8 and 14, and RER A and D), under one of the most beautiful arcades of the Viaduc des Arts in a highly sought-after neighborhood. HARPOSPHERE thus integrates into an environment dedicated to musical instruments, neighboring Yann Porret, master luthier-bow maker (at 103 avenue Daumesnil), and l'Olifant, brass instrument specialist (at 95 avenue Daumesnil).
The new organization is not only in continuity with Le Magasin de la Harpe and the Workshop but also aims to modernize and rethink the very personality of the company.
As the acoustics of the vault are particularly favorable to the harp, the space's architecture is designed mainly according to the placement of a stage, itself arranged for its best sound properties. HARPOSPHERE can thus offer quality concerts on a suitable stage, where both great international soloists and young harpists from conservatory classes can perform, as Le Magasin de la Harpe liked to organize in its early years. Similarly, conferences and master classes by major international harp figures are also scheduled, always with the aim of contributing to the harp's influence.
It is also to recapture the spirit of the early years of Le Magasin de la Harpe that a school is founded within HARPOSPHERE's premises. An 18m² work studio is created so that harpists can work there, rehearse chamber music, or take a lesson with the teacher of their choice.
A new, more ambitious direction also begins for HARPOSPHERE editions, with artistic direction entrusted to harpist Sylvain Blassel.
Finally, a substantial library grouping different historical collections is made available to harpists, who can thus consult on-site recordings, books, periodicals, and historical harp scores, on which fingerings, pedals, and all other kinds of annotations have sometimes been added.
This is how HARPOSPHERE, by expanding the activities and services of the former Magasin de La Harpe, will always continue to do everything possible to make the harp accessible to as many people as possible, to be useful to all harpists and harp lovers, and to ensure that all musicians agree that the world of the harp is definitely the best of all possible worlds.