25th American Harp Society National Competition (2023)
The 25th National Competition will be held May 31- June 4, 2023 at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, California. The 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 Competition results are announced on Noteworthy News!
National Competition final rounds and the Sunday Winners Recital are free and open to everyone, and will also be livestreamed on this page and AHS social media channels. The schedule (subject to change) is:
| Thursday, June 1 | Young Professional Division | 10 am - 1 pm PDT |
| Advanced Division | 2 pm - 5 pm PDT | |
| Friday, June 2 | Intermediate II Division | 10 am - 4 pm PDT |
| Saturday, June 3 | Junior Division | 9 am - 1 pm PDT |
| Intermediate I Division | 2 pm - 7:30 pm PDT | |
| Sunday, June 4 | Winners Recital | 11:15 am - 12:45 pm PDT |
Watch live here:
The application deadline was April 1, 2023 at 11:59 pm PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME. Applications are now closed.
AHS gratefully offers the opportunity for individuals to sponsor specific National Competition prizes. You may give online or by mail.
2023 National Competition Required Repertoire
ALL COMPOSITIONS IN ALL DIVISIONS MUST BE PERFORMED BY MEMORY.
REPEATS ARE OPTIONAL, except where stated otherwise below.
EDITIONS ARE AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CONTESTANT, except where stated otherwise below
| JUNIOR DIVISION (Maximum age 12 years on June 1, 2023) | |
| C.P.E. Bach | Solfeggio in C minor, H.220 (“Solfeggietto”) |
| Carlos Salzedo | Suite of 8 Dances (choose 3) |
| Choose one: John Thomas or Marcel Tournier |
from, Welsh Melodies for the Harp, Volumn 2, No, 13, Watching the Wheat ( 'Bugeilio'r gwenith gwyn') Berceuse russe, Op. 40 |
| INTERMEDIATE I DIVISION (Maximum age 15 years on June 1, 2023) | |
| Libby Larsen | Theme and Deviations (1973) |
| Bernard Andres | Sweet Blues |
| Choose one: Alphonse Hasselmans or Mikhail Glinka |
Petite Valse, Op. 25 Variations on a theme of Mozart (from ‘Die Zauberflöte’, The Magic Flute) |
| INTERMEDIATE II DIVISION (Maximum age 18 years on June 1, 2023) | |
| Choose one: Claude Debussy or Marcel Grandjany |
Deux Arabesques, L. 66 No. 1 Andantion con moto No. 2 Allegretto Scherzando Children’s Hour, Suite for Harp Op. 25 |
| Choose one: Paul Hindemith or Michael Mauldin |
Sonata for Harp (1939) Birds in Winter: six preludes for harp (1989) |
| Choose one: G.F. Handel or Domenico Zipoli |
Concerto in B-flat major, Op. 4 No. 6, HWV 294,Movement 1, Andante Allegro, with repeats. Any edition. Keyboard Sonata in B minor, Op.1 No.17 (Suite in B minor) |
| ADVANCED DIVISION (Maximum age 21 years on June 1, 2023) | |
| Germaine Tailleferre | Sonata for Harp |
| Kati Agócs | Every Lover is a Warrior (2006, edited 2019) |
| Marcel Grandjany | Rhapsodie, Op. 10 |
| YOUNG PROFESSIONAL DIVISION (Maximum age 30 years on June 1, 2023) * | |
| J.S. Bach | Lute Suites, BVW 995, 996, 997, 998, or 1006a - choose one |
| Choose one: Benjamin Britten or Carlos Salzedo |
Suite for Harp (1969) Variations on a Theme in Ancient Style, Op. 30 (any edition) For competition performance, take composer’s ossia* as noted in Variation VIII m. 23* |
| Choose one: Caroline Lizotte or Caroline Lizotte |
Suite Galactique, opus 39 Odyssée, opus 37 (Please see the errata list at https://calyane.com/en/faq/ re. these works.) |
| * The First Prize winner in the Young Professional Division is named the AHS Concert Artist. For this reason finalists will submit a printed recital program and deliver spoken program notes from the stage, as a part of their competition performance. |
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2023 repertoire and division age requirements are available for download. (PDF) The 2023 National Competition Rules are also available for download. (PDF).
Downloadable Guidelines for Making and Submitting Digital Video (DV) Recordings is available here.
There will be monetary awards for winners in all divisions of the competition.
A non-refundable entry fee will be charged in each Division
All entries must be received by 11:59 pm, April 1, 2023 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME.
THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS
