List of harpists explained

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
• Lucinda Belle
• 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
• Ursula Burns
• 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

• Skaila Kanga
• Camille and Kennerly Kitt
• Eduard Klassen
• Yolanda Kondonassis
• Maria Korchinska
• Iris Kroes
• Johann Baptist Krumpholtz
• Valeria Kurbatova

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
• 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
• 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

• François Joseph Naderman
• Jean Henri Naderman
• Fatma Ceren Necipoğlu
• Lily Neill
• Joanna Newsom

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

• Mia Theodoratus
• John Thomas
• Thomas Thomas
• Julia Thornton
• Miriam Timothy
• Juan Vicente Torrealba
• Marcel Tournier
• Tuotilo
• JoAnn Turovsky

V

• Verónica Valerio - Mexican harpist, singer and composer
• Remy van Kesteren - Dutch harpist and founder of the Dutch Harp Festival
• Andreas Vollenweider - Swiss harpist

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

• Nicanor Zabaleta
• Liao Zilan
• Vincenzo Zitello

Notes and References

1. Web site: Sanders . Brad . August 9, 2023 . Mikaela Davis: And Southern Star . 2024-02-28 . Pitchfork . en-US.
2. Web site: Ruiz . Matthew Ismael . April 14, 2023 . Brandee Younger: Brand New Life . 2024-02-28 . Pitchfork . en-US.