Bio

Simcha Tzuf was born and raised in Los Angeles and New York. At age 15, he journeyed to Israel and settled in the ancient city of Safed, discovering his life's path through music and spiritual connection. Music has been his sanctuary since childhood—a place of healing, exploration, and inspiration. From his earliest years, he was drawn to improvisation, composing his own arrangement of Mary Had a Little Lamb at just nine years old. His passion for composition and improvisation has continued ever since.

Simcha’s fascination with the harp began long before he ever touched one. As a child, he was captivated by the stories of King David, who played the harp to soothe the soul and bring healing. This idea of music as a meditative healing force stayed with him, shaping his artistic journey. In 2014, he fulfilled a lifelong dream: building his first harp. Captivated by its magical beauty, he went on to craft two more under the mentorship of harp builder Rick Kemper. More than just an instrument, the harp became a vessel for his deep connection to improvisation, meditative music, and ancient melodies. He also brought this vision into hospital settings, offering therapeutic bedside harp music to bring comfort to patients.

Today, Simcha lives in the Upper Galilee mountains of Israel with his wife and children. Together, they create music as the Tzuf Family Band, welcoming visitors from around the world into their home for concerts and storytelling. They also perform at weddings, festivals, and private events, sharing their music with diverse audiences.

His love for improvisation and intuitive musical expression led him to found Strings of Hope, a harp-learning membership focused on Improvisation, Meditative Harp, Jewish music, Psalms, Songs from the Ancient World, Effects and Looper, Harp in the Wind, and more. He loves exploring the use of effects and a looper, expanding the harp’s natural voice into new dimensions.

Harpists from across the globe attend his workshops to learn his distinctive approach to the Harp, where he shares difficult to grasp musical concepts, in an intuitive friendly way.
Simcha is a presenter at the Somerset Folk Harp Festival and performed at festivals and events throughout Israel, including the Tzfat Klezmer Festival, Ladino Festival, and various concerts and gatherings across the country.

Through his work, Simcha shares his vision of music as a bridge between cultures, beliefs, and hearts, inviting listeners into a world of improvisation, deep connection, and ancient melodies reborn.