The Ruth Wickersham Papalia Scholarship Award is an annual award dedicated to supporting emerging undergraduate harp performance majors in their pursuit of a music degree. The Ruth Wickersham Papalia Scholarship Award has been established in 2020 by Ruth's husband, Dr. Anthony S. Papalia, to honor Ruth's memory, her kind and gracious spirit, and her lifelong devotion to bringing people together through a shared love of music, and the harp.
This year's recipient is Maya Lai, sophomore at the Cleveland Institute of Music. We had a chance to catch up with her—enjoy!
I was blessed from the beginning of my harp journey to have excellent private teachers. My very first private teacher, Stephen Hartman, taught me not just the fundamental basics of the instrument— but also how to truly love music. As an 8-year-old, this changed my mindset from “work” to “fun”, and as a result I’ve grown to love music dearly. But it wasn’t until my senior year in high school that I truly made the decision to pursue the harp as a career. I had the opportunity to put on a benefit concert for the Children’s Advocacy Center Foundation. This was my first experience with contacting a venue, figuring out costs, advertising, and preparing an entire program all by myself. It was truly a gratifying experience, and I really saw the rewards from all the work that I put in.
However, it was the captured moments while playing on stage that made me realize that I wanted to play this instrument for the rest of my life. I am actively pursuing the harp as a career because I love every aspect of a life as a harpist: practicing, preparing, collaborating, and performing. There’s nothing quite like being able to sit down at the harp and get excited about the process over and over again.
I envision a future as a professional harpist where I can grow as a soloist and share the unique voice of the harp with a wider audience. I’m passionate about performing solo repertoire that really highlights the instrument’s expressive range and musical depth—anything from classical works to contemporary compositions. I also hope to one day commission and premiere new pieces that expand the harp’s place in solo performance. I think the harp can be used in so many different ways in solo performances, and that’s something I find really exciting. Alongside performing, I hope to one day in the future become a teacher, sharing what I’ve learned with the next generation of harpists.
I’m truly honored and grateful to receive the Ruth Wickersham Papalia Scholarship Award! This support will be so incredibly helpful as I continue my music performance studies in higher education. I’m also really looking forward to the opportunity to perform at an American Harp Society event in 2026—it’s an exciting milestone in my journey!
As a harpist, my passion for creating meaningful change in the music world comes from a desire to make the harp more accessible and better understood. In my experience at festivals and within the conservatory setting, I’ve often noticed that many musicians aren’t familiar with how the harp works or what it’s capable of. I want to challenge the common stereotypes surrounding the instrument by exploring and sharing the many ways it can be used beyond traditional expectations.
Last summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to perform orchestral repertoire at the Round Top Festival Institute, a six-week intensive orchestra program where we prepared and performed concerts each week. It was an immersive experience that deepened my love for orchestral playing. Some of the most memorable performances included Symphonie Fantastique and Má Vlast. This summer, I’m looking forward to attending Texas Music Festival, where I’m especially excited to perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, as well as compete in their concerto competition. Over the years, I’ve also been fortunate to work with a range of distinguished conductors, including JoAnn Falletta, Robert Spano, and Leonard Slatkin.
Thank you so much, Maya! Congratulations again.
Learn more about the Ruth Wickersham Papalia Scholarship Award on our website.
