Competition

The winners are...

The results of the World Harp Competition 2026 are in! Following two days of semifinal performances and a grand finale with three finalists during the 1000 Strings festival, the winners are:

1st Prize – Veronika Lemishenko
2nd Prize – Anna Amigó
3rd Prize – Motoshi Kosako

The Audience Award was awarded to María Cristina de la Rosa Peralta. Congratulations!

Meet the Semifinalists

Meet the Jury

Rachel Newton

Serving not only as Chair of Jury, but also a featured artist of the 1000 Strings Festival, Scottish harpist/singer/composer Rachel Newton masterfully blends tradition and imagination in her immersive performances.

Emmanuel Padilla Holguín

Mexican harpist Emmanuel Padilla Holguín brought home the grand prize of the World Harp Competition (then the Dutch Harp Competition) in 2016 and returns now ten years later as a member of the jury and festival performer.

Masumi Nagasawa

Japanese harpist Masumi Nagasawa is an expert on the 18th and 19th-century harp practice, giving master classes in conservatories and universities all over the world.

Mola Sylla

Amsterdam-based, Senegalese musician Mola Sylla sings and plays traditional African instruments such as the mbira, kongoma, xalam, and kalimba.

Bernadeta Astari

Indonesian soprano and performer Bernadeta Astari wows audiences with her powerfully expressive performances and boldly creative collaborations.

Rembrandt Frerichs

Dutch jazz pianist and composer Rembrandt Frerichs wrote the grand finale concerto for three harps commissioned by the World Harp Competition (then the Dutch Harp Competition) in 2016 and returns now ten years later as a member of the jury.

Christine Krüger

Supporting the World Harp Competition as Jury Secretary this year is Christine Krüger, who works in production management for television in Germany.

Video Round

On the jury for the Quarterfinals were:

Emmanuel Ceysson, Mary Lattimore, Virginie de Neve

The following candidates participated in the Quarterfinals of the competition:

Anna Amigó, Spain
Alma Auer, Belgium
Francesca Campo, Italy
Sujata Chapelain, France
Cara Dawson, UK
María Cristina de la Rosa Peralta, Mexico
Anna Dunlap, USA
Elinor Evans, Scotland
Madeleine Sara Fougeras, France
Léna Jallon, France/Switzerland
Gabriella Jones, Wales
Motoshi Kosako, Japan
Florence Laouenan, France
Veronika Lemishenko, Ukraine
Erendira Yaretzi Morales Flores, Mexico
Livia Phoebé, France
Margot Plantevin, Switzerland
Klara Poznachowska, Poland
Renee Qin, Canada
Grace Rooney, USA
Esther Sévérac, France/Germany
Zoe Vandermeer, USA
Lise Vandersmissen, Belgium
Tara Viscardi, Ireland
Luna Vissers, Belgium

Meet the Candidates

The Official Documentary

Curious to see what it’s really like at the World Harp Competition? Follow the candidates on their journey through the semifinal and final rounds of the 2024 competition. Our in-depth documentary film features behind-the-scenes footage, both on and off stage, and interviews with both performers and jury members.

From Start to Finish

Over four rounds, candidates of the World Harp Competition compete to win the hearts of the jury and ultimately the grand prize. The competition begins with a recorded Preliminary Round, followed by the Video Round, and culminating in the live Semifinals and Finals at the Dutch Harp Festival. During the Video Round, the Scouting Jury screens creative program pitches from the world’s most promising young harpists. A select number of candidates are then invited to present their complete original programs at the Dutch Harp Festival in Utrecht, the Netherlands. In the their journey through the competition rounds, candidates are challenged like never before to perform not only at a world-class level of excellence but also in their own unique artistic voice.

Prizes

First Prize | €5.000 and the personally tailored CCC (Care, Coaching & Career) Development Program

Second Prize | €2.500

Third Prize | €1.500

Audience Award | €1.500

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