Julianne McCollough is a sophomore at the Jacobs School of Music and is the program coordinator for the USA International Harp Competition.
(Alaina Davis/WTIU News)
The world’s best harpists come to the Indiana University campus every three years to compete for fame, prestige and a golden harp.
The 13th USA International Harp Competition brings 44 musicians from 19 countries to compete May 15-24 in solo harp performance. All 80+ performances are free and open to the public.
The competition is much like the Olympics, bringing people together from across the world. Out-of-country competitors are housed by 25 host families.
“Music is a universal language of the world, and even if we can't understand each other linguistically, we can understand the passion of the music,” said Barbara Lapke-Sims, vice president for the competition’s board of directors.
Harpists must come into the competition with around two hours of sheet music memorized. Each competitor plays for 20 minutes in the first round before a jury. The best move on to the longer rounds, four in total.
For many competitors — ages 18 to 32 — it’s a chance to launch their professional musical careers.
“Our artistic director (Elizabeth Hainen), she placed in the very first competition in 1989 and she's principal harpist with the Philadelphia Orchestra,” Lapke-Sims said. “Our associate artistic director (Emmanuel Ceysson) placed in an earlier competition, and now he's the principal harpist to the LA Philharmonic.”
Barbara Lapke-Sims is the vice president for the competition’s board of directors. (Alaina Davis/WTIU News)
The event was created in 1989 by the former chair of the Jacobs School of Music’s harp department, Susann McDonald, and continues to be sponsored by the school.
It’s about more than the competition, President and Chair Joyce Claflin said. The group also hosts educational outreach programs, composition contests and concert series.
The semi-finalists' performances May 22 will each include a specific piece created for the competition. Bioluminescence by Kalen Smith won last year’s composition contest.
There will be a concert to showcase finalists from the 2024 composition contest, as well as a showcase from the international youth division winners.
Additionally, the Buskirk-Chumley Theater will host an all-ages pop and jazz performance from Grammy Award-winning Brandee Younger. She will perform on electric harp alongside her group at 8 p.m. May 23. VIP tickets include a meet and greet. Tickets range $20-$54.
Lapke-Sims said the music of this competition is for everyone, not just classical music enthusiasts.
“If you just want to be inspired by somebody's desire to be excellent at an instrument and to have joy playing an instrument, come,” she said. “Come and see if your heart is touched by this music.”
