Video Round

Candidates are listed below in performance order, determined by a randomized draw.

Lise Vandersmissen graduated with Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and was awarded the Guildhall Harp Prize. She has won First Prize at the 5th International Harp Competition in Slovenia, Second Prize at the Szeged Harp Competition in Hungary and Second Prize at the London Camac Competition. Lise’s highlights on the Italian Triple Harp include the Händel Concerto at the London Händel Festival and in Alden Biesen with the Bach Academie. She was the Artist in Residence of the early music festival Intra Muros. Lise just released her first album (CJM Flanders) and is a young artist at Klara Radio in Belgium. Lise lives with her harps on her canal boat in London.

TRE: The Italian Triple Harp as a Solo Instrument

My programme TRE reintroduces the Italian Triple Harp as a solo instrument. It combines early music with my own newly written compositions: old and new intertwined. The first part of my programme includes one of the earliest solo pieces written for this baroque harp with three rows of strings, by Trabaci. After this Neapolitan introduction, the audience is taken on a journey to Händel, Parry and Croft, and flows into the present day. My own compositions are influenced by folk and early music. They feature contemporary elements like ankle bells and vocal effects. My compositions are based on my journey of writing for solo Triple Harp, while keeping its original baroque character intact.

Stef Van Vynckt is a young Belgian harpist specialising in new music. Stef is co-founder of the up-and-coming chamber music ensemble EMC – Extended Music Collective, and has worked closely with leading contemporary composers to further expand the harp repertoire in works that showcase both the delicate side of the harp we are accustomed to, as well as the lesser explored and at times abrasive possibilities that the instrument can possess. Amongst the many collaborations he has been involved in in recent years, he has worked with Christopher Cerrone, Dai Fujikura, Elena Rykova and Maja Bosnić. He is regularly invited to perform with leading ensembles like Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt.

This ain’t fake

‘This ain’t fake’ brings together new compositions by internationally renowned composers like Frank Nuyts, Dai Fujikura, Elena Rykova, John Supko, Alexander Schubert and Alireza Farhang. This concert represents an exceptional collection of new compositions created by a mix of established composers from different musical traditions – striving to break free from musical constraints, aiming to blur the boundaries of musical genres. The project draws inspiration from our ongoing fascination with the future and our concern with the continuous flow of time. The dynamic shifts in the music reflect the conflicting emotions we experience, ranging from nostalgia and joy to fear and panic.

Passionate and determined to combine my favorite instrument – the harp – with my favorite musical genre – jazz, I am pursuing my music studies at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) in the Bachelor’s program for jazz harp. Integrating the harp into the jazz program at a Swiss University of the Arts is a goal that is very close to my heart. Supported by numerous recognized professional musicians in both classical and jazz genres, I will be the only harpist in Switzerland studying jazz harp at the Bachelor’s level. I aspire to contribute, in my own way, to further popularizing the harp in jazz scenes and pushing the boundaries of the instrument even further.

A taste of Harp

I would play jazz standards in a trio (harp, bass and drums), as well as a solist. I will sometimes sing while accompanying myself on the harp. For example: Beautiful love, Laura, It could happen to you, My funny Valentine, Four, You must believe in spring, Yardbird Suite, There will never be another you, Nature Boy, Blue in Green…

Alma Klemm studied classical harp with Gisèle Herbet and Stephen Fitzpatrick and spent over a decade playing in various orchestras around Europe such as the State Opera Berlin, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and the City of Birmingham Orchestra. Coming from a musical family she grew up surrounded by opera, but soon turned her head for any other genre of music, especially world music. More and more she started to let her love for Latin music inspire her teaching and her performances as a soloist. In the season 2022/23 her duo Falma launched their first concerts with continiously self arranged and composed pieces. A unique fusion of classical and latin music, Falma does not only perform, but also shares ideas in their educational project “Falma Musik Kids” in their home town Kiel.

Antología

Falma’s debut program “Antología” kicked off by digging into the music of Alma’s idol, Cuban pianist Ruben Gonzalez. Her version of Buena Vista Social Club for the classical pedal harp was complemented as she met multi instrumentalist Fernando Henríquez from Venezuela. Together they created a unique program for the European pedal harp accompanied by folkloric percussion and original guitar instruments from Latin America. “Antología” is a collection of songs and dances from Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Cuba that varies between happiness, love, melancholy and energy.

An active soloist performing classical re-imaginations on lever harp, Amelia, received her master’s in music at San Francisco State University under the tutelage of Karen Gottlieb, retired second harpist of the San Francisco Symphony. Her latest album, “Levers Engaged: Classical Works Re-imaged for Harp” and sheet music collection “Classical Re-imaginations,” present the lever harp as a valid voice in todays’ classical music scene. A composer and arranger, she is equally at home writing Latin America inspired works for solo harp as she is adapting classical pieces for chamber collaborations.

Defying Convention

I fell in love with Latin American music while playing in harp ensembles as a teen. The contagious syncopation inspired my original numbers, “Counterpoint,” “New Perspectives” and “Defying Gravity.” Despite having roots in folk traditions, (thanks to advances in lever mechanics and the adaptation of various playing techniques), the lever harp has become a genre-fluid instrument. Having recently completed my masters in classical lever harp performance, “Defying Convention,” presents the lever harp as a valid voice in classical music reflected in my re- imagination performances of Pearl Chertok’s “Beige Nocturne” and Brandee Younger’s, “Essence of Ruby,” both written for pedal harp.

Liucile Vilimaite is a Lithuanian harpist and composer interested in non-traditional and experimental performance practices. Being born in a musical family, she began her path as a musician at a very young age. Ever since Liucile has won several national and international harp and composition competitions, gave premiers of composers like Meredith Monk, Algirdas Martinaitis, as well as gave a world premiere of her piece “Žalčiai” for harp and strings in 14th World Harp Congress in Cardiff in 2022. In the same year Liucile graduated the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague cum laude, where she was taught by harpists Ernestine Stoop, Sylvain Blassel, Marieke Schoenmakers and composer Trevor Grahl.

La Mélancolie

“La Mélancolie” is an immersive concert program that portraits melancholia, a feeling that is often viewed very negatively, as a breathtaking and pensive experience. Through well-known lyrical harp pieces, as well as compositions and arrangements of my own, and theatrical elements such as visual projections and intimate scenography, the listener is invited to explore bittersweet emotions of solitude and experience the vulnerable beauty of a momentum. Can melancholia be the key for finding your way and resilience in an increasingly disconnected world?

Kevin is a lever harp player and singer-songwriter from Brittany, part of the new generation of Breton musicians. He plays in several groups such as his harp duo BISIAD and his fest-noz trio LA MÉZANJ. As a solo artist, Kevin is dedicated to arranging, composing and writing songs. He released his first solo album « À distance » (From a distance) on May 3rd 2023. His passion for traditional music and songs is expressed through a modern and dynamic harp playing and arrangements coloured by various influences (pop, jazz …). His clear and powerful singing seals his artistic identity. In August 2019, at the soloist competition “Trophée Camac”, Kevin won the first prize and the public prize.

This song is for the wind

From a distance is a solo programme for harp and vocals. The Breton-inspired songs, all composed and written by Kevin Le Pennec, reveal the soul of a sensitive and committed artist. His voice, tinged with traditional music, is blended with a contemporary musical heritage that adds a new dimension to his music. Like an orchestra in its own right, the harp wends its way along colourful paths bordered by a rich landscape, at once modest and complex, to the point where we sometimes hear surges of notes like of a kora, or the silence of a song. Through his texts, Kevin expresses himself on the themes that are dear to him: long-distance relationships, homosexuality, gender inclusion, positivity.

Katia started harp at age eight with Xanya Mamunya. During adolescence, she broadened her horizons with learning languages, living overseas, teaching English, and rallying for Human Rights causes. At 27, she decided to become a professional harpist.�� She graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2022 with high distinction), as a student of Alice Giles AM; was awarded the Quinquin foundation scholarship, the William and Marie Souter Encouragement Awards, and the Bachelor of Music Scholarship.�� Katia also composes, having recently completed a commission for harp and marimba. Previously, she has published two works in the AMEB Harp Syllabus; and has written two modern classical harp books.

The Sonorous Harp

I hope to present a program which showcases the harp’s power and diversity in a contemporary context – its myriad techniques, colours, moods, and expressiveness. A program which challenges preconceived notions of the harp as an ‘angelic,‘ ‘pretty,‘ or orchestral instrument.
A little over half of my program will include original compositions. Their style is grounded in ‘new harpism;’ the principles established by Carlos Salzedo, including essential resonance, instrumental esthetics, and extended techniques.

Born in La Habana, Cuba, Anabel Gutierrez Orraca is currently a Doctor in Music candidate at McGill University, with master’s degree from the same institution, a BMus from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Indiana University Kelly School of Business. Her passion for better access to harp education led her to found the Asociación Latinoamericana del Arpa, a non- profit organisation that advocates for access to world-class education for Latin American harpists. Her research interests range from Cuban harp history to harp literature, to experimentation and identity expression in the Twenty-first Century harpist, her doctoral dissertation topic.

My Identity

Identity and Music are linked together. In the case of the pedal harp, this relationship is more intricate due to the instrument’s own preconceptions. However, coming from a culture foreign to the European harp tradition, my personal and cultural identity became in conflict with my career choice. Ten years ago, my desire to study abroad forced me to let go of who I used to be, to become what I thought was expected of me in order to become a great harpist. But after embodying two opposing identities, I realised I could not be one without the other. This program tells my personal story, the hardships the harp and I experienced together, to finally become whole and be able to say: This is me.

Ruth Lee is an award-winning harpist and composer, crafting performances inspired by mythology, and has been described as a ‘musical storyteller’ with ‘her own inner voice’ (Sioned Williams, UKHA Review). Her work has been recognised at many leading festivals across the UK, including the United Kingdom Harp Competition (Sioned Williams Prize for Harp), The Edinburgh International Harp Festival (Iain Macleòid Young Composer Award), and the Wales International Harp Festival. Ruth recently also performed a solo programme featuring her own works at the World Harp Congress 2022 – Mythology. She regularly performs for the charity Live Music Now! and collaborates with other soloists and ensembles.

Mythology

A program for solo pedal harp of contemporary-classical music, infused with a folk idiom and inspired by mythology. It features works by myself and other female contemporary composers. Bringing the audience into the narrative, each piece is accompanied by photography, art and short stories that were either formed alongside the music, or used as inspiration, and enrich the audience’s experience. Including both acoustic and electro-acoustic music, with the use of loop machines, ambient noise and extended techniques, a unique sound world is created for each piece all linked by mythology.

Minnesota-based harpist and musical artist Amy Nam writes and performs music out of a desire to nourish curiosity —both her own curiosity as well as that of her listeners. Her original music has garnered support and accolades from Chamber Music America’s Classical Commissioning Program, the American Harp Society Grants Program, the BMI Foundation, the Eastman School of Music, and the Lyra Society, and her works have been performed and recorded by ensembles including the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, Hats+Heels duo, Tennessee Valley Music Festival Orchestra, and the American Composer’s Orchestra. Currently, Nam teaches harp and composition at Luther College in Decorah, IA.

Cosmic Fragments: Words and Music about Life, the Universe, and Everything

In a sweeping and quirky musical-poetic survey of human experience and the universe we inhabit, “Cosmic Fragments” grapples with the most profound aspects of life on earth: wonder, ugliness, beauty, suffering, intelligence, imagination, and potential—among others! Bite-sized spoken texts alternate with short works for harp (seven for solo pedal harp, and one for electric lever harp with electronics), all written within the last century. At times aggressive, personal, whimsical, or meditative—and always sincere—this idiosyncratic program displays as many characters of the contemporary harp as it offers insights into humanity’s miraculous, impermanent appearance in the cosmos.

Fiona is a Scottish harpist and composer from Edinburgh, who mainly performs her own eclectic work. Fiona learned harp with Sophie Askew, Isobel Mieras and Savourna Stevenson. She studied at The City of Edinburgh Music School and holds degrees in Composition from Dartington College of Arts and Edinburgh University. Fiona has published several volumes of her own harp compositions and has written for theatre and film including the award winning feature film ‘The Inheritance’. ‘Seed’ was released in Spring 2023 and features her original music for harp and chamber ensembles. “breathtaking…a sign of wonderful genre bursting melting pot in current Scottish music” (Folk RadioUk)

The Scottish Harp: An Eclectic Tale

An exciting and eclectic blend of original compositions for the Scottish Harp. Fiona’s composition style is always melodic at its heart, but encompasses many genres: folk, contemporary classical, film and world. Expect to hear music that is both unusual and beautiful. Fiona’s compositions take inspiration from film music, the African Kora, Gaelic slow airs and French impression. The result is music that sounds fresh and original, but totally honest.
“A beautifully composed listening experience” (Songlines Magazine)
“A sign of a wonderful genre bursting melting pot in current Scottish music” (Folk Radio Uk)

Ariel Sol is an adventurer in sound as a cutting-edge composer/producer/harpist. Based in Los Angeles and hailing from Chicago, he is passionate about channeling musical innovation to foster community both on and off stage. Storytelling, ancestry, technology, and rebellion intersect to inform his dynamic approach to the music of today. Winner of the 7th USA International Harp Competition Ruth Inglefield Composition Contest and 2023 SEAMUS Allen Strange Award, Ari’s work can be experienced worldwide. A musical phenom, his performances include a 2022 Young Artist Residency on American Public Media’s “Performance Today” and two spotlights as Featured Young Composer of the American Harp Society.

Stronger Together

Stronger Together is an expression of synergy: a whole whose impact is greater than the sum of its parts. The program features three original premieres that draw from themes of collective action, personal bonds, and multicultural synthesis. The first two pieces integrate live technology- motion and light sensors- to create an interactive soundscape that explores body language, crowd psychology, and more through audience-informed improvisation. The final piece is a traditional concerto (contemporary classical) in which each movement is influenced by a different genre formative to the composer. The final movement combines themes from all three into a tapestry of cultures and sounds.