The 2025 American Harp Society National Competition
The AHS National Competition is open to harpists up to the age of 30 who are national members of the American Harp Society and who are United States citizens or citizens of the Americas (North, Central, and South).
The 2025 Competition was held on May 28 - June 1, 2025, at the Colburn School, Los Angeles, California, and was livestreamed on AHS Live! The prize recipients are:
| Junior Division | Intermediate I Division | |||
| 1st Prize | Irene Kim | 1st Prize | Vicki Chen | |
| 2nd Prize | Wesley Park | 2nd Prize | Leenah Yoon | |
| 3rd Prize | Livia Cheng | 3rd Prize | Erin Bai | |
| Honorable Mention | Thea Watkins | Honorable Mention | Sarah Howell | |
| Intermediate II Division | Advanced Division | |||
| 1st Prize | Margaret Hodes | 1st Prize | Naomi Sun | |
| 2nd Prize | Hannah Chen | 2nd Prize | Maya Lindsey | |
| 3rd Prize | Olivia Shidler | Honorable Mention | Miriam Kessler, Ava Yeh | |
| Honorable Mention | Isabella Ebo, Tessa Jackson |
| Young Professional Division | |||
| 1st Prize & AHS Concert Artist | Renee Murphy | ||
| 2nd Prize | Emily Howard | ||
| 3rd Prize & Prix Renie | Margaret Anne Gunter | ||
| Honorable Mention | Julia Johnson | ||
These results and winner photos are also available on Noteworthy News. Visit AHS Live! to enjoy the recorded Winners Recital and Awards. The Recital and all of the final competition round recordings are also available on AHS's YouTube page.
The AHS is delighted to announce that AHS National Competition judges awarded the Prix Renié to Margaret Anne Gunter. This award is designated for the best performance of compositions or transcriptions by Henriette Renié by a finalist in the Young Professional Division. The AHS appreciates the funding of this honor, which evolved from a 1985 bequest from AHS Board member John Hastings, by the American Harp Foundation.
AHS is grateful to our members for supporting this biannual event. Contributions may be directed to help defray the overall competition expense, or to underwrite specific prizes. Please consider a gift today in support of these young musicians.
Junior Division maximum age 12 as of June 1, 2025 |
|
| J.S. Bach (Play all three) | 1. Menuet in F Major, BWV Anh. 113, |
| https://harpcolumn.com/music/all-music/artists/laura-sherman/menuet-in-f-major/ (digital download) | |
| 2. Prelude 1 in C Major, BWV 924, | |
| https://harpcolumn.com/music/all-music/artists/laura-sherman/prelude-1-in-c-major/ (digital download) | |
| 3. Prelude in F Major, BWV 927, | |
| https://harpcolumn.com/music/all-music/artists/laura-sherman/prelude-in-f-major/ (digital download) | |
| Print versions available through Gotham Harp Publishing, https://www.busytuning.com/category/all-products | |
| Bernard Andres | Epices (pick any 3) from volume 1 and/or volume 2 |
| Grace Vamos | Palace Lake from Fountainbleau Suite |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |
| Intermediate I Division maximum age 15 as of June 1, 2025 | |
| Sergiu Natra | Sonatina for Harp |
| John Bull/Marcel Grandjany | The King’s Hunt |
| Choose one: | |
| Albert Zabel | La Source op 23 (the Fountain) |
| OR | |
| Alphonse Hasselmans | La Source op 44 (the Brook or the Fountain) |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |
| Intermediate II Division maximum age 18 as of June 1, 2025 | |
| Free choice | Any work by Johann Sebastian Bach (max 7 minutes) |
| Brandee Younger | Essence of Ruby |
| Choose one: | |
| Marcel Tournier | Etude de concert “Au matin” |
| OR | |
| Felix Godefroid | Etude de Concert op. 193 |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |
| Advanced Division maximum age 21 as of June 1, 2025 | |
| Gabriel Faure | Impromptu, Op.86 |
| Choose one: | |
| Wilhelm Posse | Etude No. 7 from Eight Great Studies |
| OR | |
| Eric Schmidt | Etude No. 6 |
| Choose one: | |
| Germaine Tailleferre | Sonata for Harp |
| OR | |
| Paul Hindemith | Sonata for Harp |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |
| Young Professional Division maximum age 30 as of June 1, 2025 | |
| Johann Sebastian Bach | Toccata and Fugue in d minor, BWV 565 (any edition) |
| Choose one: | |
| Henriette Renie | Piece Symphonique |
| OR | |
| Henriette Renie | Legende |
| Choose one: | |
| Carlos Salzedo | Variations sur un theme dans le style ancient, Op 30 |
| (Prepare a cut after Variation VII Molto piu Lento “Trills” to Variation XI Fuga to the end of the composition. Note this is different cut than the traditional one in the printed score.) | |
| OR | |
| Mikhail Mchedelov | Variations on a Theme by Paganini (without repeats) |
| OR | |
| Elias Parish Alvars | Introduction and Variations on Favorite Airs from Bellini's Opera “Norma,” Op. 36 |
| Spoken program notes will be required in the final round. Finalists will be asked to submit a program appropriate for Concert Artist recitals. | |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |
25th American Harp Society National Competition (2023)
The 25th National Competition was held May 31- June 4, 2023 at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, California. The biannual competition is open to harpists up to the age of 30 who are national members of the American Harp Society and who are United States citizens or citizens of the Americas (North, Central, and South). A list of all past competition winners is available here. 2023 results by division are available on Noteworthy News, and winners appear on the Emerging Artists and Concert Artist web pages.
Both the 2023 and 2021 AHS National Competition final rounds and the Winners Recital are available on the AHS YouTube channel.
Past Competitions
See the lists of every year's AHS National Competition winners
Browse the National Competition repertoire from 2001 - 2025
