List of harpists

This is a list of people who are notable as harpists, ordered by the first letter of their family name.

A

Mike Absalom - English musician (including harp), poet and children's entertainer
Ruth Acuff - American singer-songwriter and harpist
Kirsten Agresta - American harpist and a board member of the World Harp Congress
Pauline Åhman (1812–1904) - Swedish harpist
Silke Aichhorn - German harpist
Nancy Allen - American harpist
Elias Parish Alvars (1808–1849) - English harpist and composer
Glafira Alymova (1758–1826) - Russian lady-in-waiting and harpist
Jon Anderson - English-American singer, songwriter and musician, and member of the band Yes
Fulgencio Aquino (1915–1994) - Venezuelan musician and composer
Dorothy Ashby (1932–1986) - American jazz harpist and composer
Athy - Argentinian harpist and composer, also known as 'Athy, the electric harp'

B

Baby Dee
Winifred Bambrick - (1892–1969) - Canadian classical musician and novelist
Cormac de Barra - Irish singer, musician, and television presenter; part of the Moya Brennan Band
William fitz Robert Barry - (fl. 1615) - blind harper in the service of David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant
Derek Bell
Elinor Bennett
Stephanie Bennett
Hugo Blanco
Hana Blažíková - (born 1980) - Czech soprano, harpist, and interpreter of Baroque, Medieval, and Renaissance music
Nicolas-Charles Bochsa - (1789–1856) - French-Australian musician and composer appointed to the Imperial Orchestra
Alexander Boldachev - (born 1990) Swiss Russian composer, arranger, harpist of academic, improvised and crossover work; founder of Zurich Harp Festival
Jana Boušková (born 1970)
Robin Huw Bowen - Exponent of the Welsh Triple Harp and authentic Welsh harp repertoire
Cristina Braga
Moya Brennan - (born 1952) - Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist; member of Clannad
Corina Brouder
Giolla Críost Brúilingeach
Olivia Buckley
Charles Bunworth - (1704 – 1772) - Church of Ireland rector of Buttevant, County Cork, Ireland
Patrick Byrne - (c. 1794 – 1863) - last noted Gaelic harpist in Ireland and first Irish musician to be photographed

C

Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano
Félix Pérez Cardozo
Dee Carstensen
Edmar Castañeda
Clotilde Cerdà (1861–1926), also known as Esmeralda Cervantes
Emmanuel Ceysson
Cecilia Chailly
Alice Chalifoux
Máire Ní Chathasaigh - (born 1956) - five-time winner of the All-Ireland music competition
Pearl Chertok
Elaine Christy
Zhay Clark (1895-1980), later known as Zhay Moor
Marie-Elizabeth Cléry - (1761–1795) - French composer and harpist in the court of Marie-Antoinette
Alice Coltrane
Thomas Connellan - (c. 1640 – 1698) - Irish harper and composer whose "Molly St. George" is one of the earliest Irish harp songs with extant lyrics; brother of William Connellan
William Connellan - 17th century Irish harper and composer; brother of Thomas Connellan
Cécile Corbel - (born 1980) - Breton recording artist and composer

D

Abramino dall'Arpa - (1577–1593) - one of the few Jewish musicians in Mantua, Italy in the late 16th century
Abramo dall'Arpa - (died 1566) - Italian harpist in the court of Mantua, Italy, and later tutor of the children of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Rhodri Davies - British harpist and composer
Mikaela Davis^[1] - American musician, harpist, songwriter, vocalist and producer, known for her work with the band Southern Star
Vera Dulova (1909–2000) - Russian harpist and instructor
Sophia Dussek (1775–1831) - Italian-British harpist, singer and composer

E

Osian Ellis (1928–2021) - Welsh harpist, composer and teacher
Víctor Espínola - Paraguayan multi-instrumentalist and singer, best known for playing the Paraguayan harp

F

Órla Fallon - (born 1974) - Irish soloist, songwriter, and former member of the group Celtic Woman and the chamber choir Anúna
Vincent Fanelli - (1881–1966) - Italian-American classical musician and educator, principal harpist of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Charles Fanning - (1736 – c. 1792) - winner of Ireland's Granard Harp Festival in 1781, 1782, and 1783
Piaras Feiritéar - (c. 1600 – 1653) - poet and Catholic Irish leader
Ignacio Figueredo - (1899–1995) - Venezuelan folk musician
Catrin Finch - (born 1980) - Welsh harpist, arranger, and composer; Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004
Cheryl Ann Fulton - American performer and teacher

G

Mara Galassi
Marilinda Garcia
Stéphanie Félicité, comtesse de Genlis - (1746–1830) - French writer, harpist, and educator known for her children's works
Adele Girard
Betty Glamann
Félix Godefroid
Marie Goossens
Sidonie Goossens
Tristan Le Govic
Phamie Gow
Marcel Grandjany

H

Keiji Haino
Rachel Hair - Scottish folk harpist
Corky Hale
Janet Harbison - Irish harper
Ruth Berman Harris
Alphonse Hasselmans
Petra van der Heide
Deborah Henson-Conant
Corrina Hewat - (born 1970) - winner of Scotland's Music Tutor of the Year award at the 2013 Na Trads
Hugh Higgins - (1737–1791) - blind Irish harper
Erin Hill
Franziska Huhn - (born 1977) - German-American performer and composer; winner of the Jugend musiziert prize
Robert ap Huw

I

Varvara Ivanova (born 1987) - Russian harpist

J

Angharad James (1677–1749) - Welsh female poet and harpist
James James (1832–1902) Welsh musician, composer of the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad fy Nhadau
Siân James (born 1961) - Welsh traditional folk singer and harpist
Pierre Jamet (1893–1991) - French harpist and teacher
Elizabeth Jaxon - American harpist, director of the DHF World Harp Competition and member of the band Atlantic Harp Duo
Maria Johansdotter (fl. 1706) - Swedish harpist, folk music player and parish clerk, put on trial for homosexuality and for posing as a man
Claire Jones - Welsh harpist
Edward Jones (1752–1824) - Welsh harpist and collector of music

K

L

Théodore Labarre - (1805–1870) - French harpist, composer, and professor
Lily Laskine - (1893–1988) - French performer and professor who received the Legion of Honour in 1958
Mary Lattimore
Lucile Lawrence
Lucinda Belle
Anne LeBaron
Caroline Leonardelli - French-Canadian performer and recording artist; principal harpist with the Ottawa Symphony
Lloyd Lindroth
Judy Loman
Lisa Lynne
Cornelius Lyons - (1670–1740) - Irish harper of the Earl of Antrim

M

Marie Antoinette - last queen of France
Cormac MacDermott - (?–1618) - harper with the English Royal Musick
Amhlaeibh Mac Innaighneorach - (?–1168) - Chief Harper of Ireland, one of the earliest recorded Irish professional musicians
Manuel Machado
Mary Macmaster - (born 1955) - Scottish harpist who performs with The Poozies and in the duo Sileas
Edouard Mailly (Unknown Date of Birth - Unknown Date of Death, Unknown Age) Harpist who never condemned his crime for murdering his fiancée (Pacifica) out of jealousy by shooting her 2 times with his gun and stabbing her 23 times with his dagger
Eileen Malone
José Marín
Harpo Marx - (1888–1964)
Gulnara Mashurova
Susann McDonald
Marshall McGuire
Loreena McKennitt - (born 1957) - Canadian composer and multi-instrumentalist whose albums have sold more than 14 million copies
Geraldine McMahon
Katie McMahon
Lavinia Meijer
Luisa Menárguez
Anna Maria Mendieta
Orazio Michi
Susanna Mildonian
Valérie Milot - Canadian soloist and chamber musician; the first harpist to win the Prix d’Europe
Áine Minogue
Rose Mooney
David Murphy

N

O

Máel Sechnaill Ruadh Ó Braonáin
Donell Dubh Ó Cathail
Eachmarcach Ó Catháin
Ruaidri Dáll Ó Catháin
Maol Ruanaidh Cam Ó Cearbhaill
Eoghain Ó Cianáin
Thady Ó Cianáin
Fláithrí Ó Corcrán
Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh - (fl. 1630) - Irish poet and harpist
Diarmuid Ó Dubhagáin
Donnchadh Ó Hámsaigh
Mary O'Hara
Dominic Ó Mongain
Máel Ísa Ó Raghallaigh
Turlough O'Carolan
Arthur O'Neill
Natalia O'Shea
Rüdiger Oppermann - (born 1954) - German experimental musician; plays a custom-made clàrsach with 38 gold-plated bronze strings and a special mechanism that allows him to bend notes in a manner akin to blues musicians
Coline-Marie Orliac - (born 1989) - two-time winner of the USA International Harp Competition
Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
David Owen
Siobhan Owen - (born 1993) - Welsh-Australian soprano; winner of several music awards including two Irish Music Awards

P

Annemiek Padt-Jansen
Şirin Pancaroğlu
Zeena Parkins
John Parry - (1710–1782) - blind Welsh harpist, credited with writing Deck the Halls, inspiration for Thomas Gray's 1757 poem, The Bard (poem)
John Parry - (1776–1851) - better known as Bardd Alaw
Laura Peperara
Roberto Perera
Edna Phillips
Jemima Phillips
Nicholas Dáll Pierce
Ann Hobson Pilot - (born 1943) - former principal harpist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops

R

Monica Ramos
Elizabeth Randles
Anna-Maria Ravnopolska-Dean - (born 1960) - Bulgarian concert harpist and academic; a founder of the American University in Bulgaria
Casper Reardon
Susan Reed
Henriette Renié
Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz
Nansi Richards - (1888–1979) - Welsh harpist appointed official harpist to Charles, Prince of Wales
Kim Robertson
Marisa Robles
Claire Roche
Henrik Rohmann - (1910–1978) - Hungarian performer and teacher
Clotilde Rosa
Mindy Rosenfeld
Diana Rowan
Jaroslav Řídký - (1897–1956) - Czech composed, conductor, harpist, and teacher

S

Floraleda Sacchi - (born 1978) - recording artist, composer, and musicologist from Italy
Arnold Safroni-Middleton
Victor Salvi
Carlos Salzedo
Arianna Savall
Anne van Schothorst
Patsy Seddon - Scottish harpist known for work with The Poozies, Sileas, and Clan Alba
Therese Schroeder-Sheker
Marianne Smit
David Snell (musician)
Monika Stadler
Serafina Steer
Savourna Stevenson
Alan Stivell - (born 1944) - Celtic recording artist
Jessica Suchy-Pilalis
Tomoko Sugawara
Andrei Sychra

T

V

Verónica Valerio - Mexican harpist, singer and composer
Remy van Kesteren - Dutch harpist and founder of the Dutch Harp Festival
Andreas Vollenweider - Swiss harpist
Pacifica Zelaya Villegas (1882–1907), 25, Pacifica was murdered (by shooting her 2 times and stabbing her 23 times) by her fiancé Edouard Mailly a few days before she could graduate from the Brussels Conservatory and the first femicide victim

W

Maria Jane Williams (c.1795–1873) - Welsh harpist
Sylvia Woods (harpist) - American harpist and composer
Aristid von Würtzler (1925–1997) - Hungarian-American leader of the New York Harp Ensemble

Y

Gráinne Yeats (1925–2013) - Irish harpist, singer and historian
Brandee Younger^[2] - American harpist

Z

References

^ Sanders, Brad (August 9, 2023). "Mikaela Davis: And Southern Star". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-02-28.
^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (April 14, 2023). "Brandee Younger: Brand New Life". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-02-28.

[1] Sanders, Brad (August 9, 2023). "Mikaela Davis: And Southern Star". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-02-28.

[2] Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (April 14, 2023). "Brandee Younger: Brand New Life". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-02-28.

[1]

[2]