12th USA International Harp Competition Jury

Naoko Yoshino, Japan
Jury President

Born in London, Japanese harpist Naoko Yoshino started her harp studies with Susann McDonald at the age of six in Los Angeles. In 1981, she received the Second Prize at the First International Harp Competition in Rome. In 1985, at the age of seventeen, she was the First Prize Winner at the Ninth International Harp Contest in Israel.

Naoko Yoshino’s solo engagements with the world’s top orchestras have included the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Zurich’s Tonhalle Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Concentus Musicus Wien.  Renowned conductors with whom she has shared the stage include Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Zubin Mehta, Pierre Boulez, Herbert Blomstedt, Yehudi Menuhin, Frühbeck de Burgos, and Seiji Ozawa.  She has given solo recitals in New York, Vienna, London, and Tokyo, among other cities around the world. Naoko Yoshino has been invited to numerous prestigious music festivals, such as the Lucerne, Salzburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Marlboro, and Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festivals. Through chamber music, she has worked closely with such renowned musicians as violinist Gidon Kremer, violists Veronika Hagen and Nobuko Imai, cellist Clemens Hagen, flutists Aurèle Nicolet, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Wolfgang Schulz, Emmanuel Pahud, and horn player Radek Baborák.

As an advocate of new repertoire for the harp, Naoko Yoshino has premiered many works, including Toru Takemitsu’s “And then I knew ‘twas Wind”, Toshio Hosokawa’s Harp Concerto “Re-turning”, and Ami Maayani’s “Sonata No.2” for solo harp. Recordings to date include releases on the Teldec, Philips, Sony Classical, Virgin Classics, and Aparté labels. In 2015, Naoko Yoshino started recording for her own private label “grazioso”, where she has been releasing one solo album each year, the most recent being “Harp Recital VI – Tournier / Renié / Caplet / Casella / Salzedo / Fauré” in 2021.

Prizes achieved include: 1988, Arts Festival Prize (Japan Agency for Cultural Affairs); 1989: Mobil Music Award for Brilliant Young Musicians; 1991, Avon Awards to Women (Arts division); The Mainichi Art Award FY2021 (special prize).

Anne-Sophie Bertrand, Germany

Anne-Sophie Bertrand is Principal Harpist with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (hr-Sinfonieorchester-Frankfurt). Born in France, Anne-Sophie Bertrand graduated with honors from the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied with Prof. Skaila Kanga, and from the Royal Conservatoire of Brussels with the highest distinction, and also studied with Catherine Michel and Germaine Lorenzini in France.

A prizewinner of the Cardiff International Harp Contest, Gaudeamus International Competition for the interpretation of contemporary music, the Parklane Group and BBC3 Young Artist Auditions in London, Anne-Sophie Bertrand has performed as a soloist at the Wigmore Hall, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Bozart in Brussels, the Fondation Gianadda in the Bolivar Hall in Caracas and is a guest artist with renowned Festivals such as the Beijing Arts Festival, the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove, the Rheingau Musik Festival, the Festival en Avesnois, and the World Harp Congress.

A passionate teacher, Anne-Sophie Bertrand has been Guest Professor and Associate Artist at the Royal Academy of Music in London since 2018 and leads the student harp class of the Academy für Tonkunst in Darmstadt to create professional opportunities for young harpists. She has also given Masterclasses at the Freiburg Musikhochschule, Brussels Conservatoire, the Vienna University, the Guildhall School of Music and was a member of the Jury in the Concours français de la harpe as well as an adviser for many orchestras in Germany.

In her search for expansion of the repertoire for her instrument, Anne-Sophie Bertrand has played and recorded many premieres as well as adapting works for harp. She has had the chance to work with composers-conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Péter Eötvös, Enno Poppe, Matthias Pintscher, Heinz Holliger, Nimrod Borenstein and works regularly as a guest with the Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt.

Praised in Pizzicato Magazin for “her talent for storytelling similar to that of Scheherazade in the Tales of 1001 Nights” and in Fanfare Magazin for her “breathtaking synthesis of beauty, elegance and pristine technique”,  Anne-Sophie Bertrand’s latest CD includes a Premiere by American composer Geoffrey Gordon. She has recorded numerous CDs for Herder Verlag, Telarc, Naxos and Ars Production.

Shannon Shuen Chieh, Taiwan

A leading harpist and teacher in Taiwan and Asia, Ms. Chieh has been Principal Harpist with the National Symphony of Taiwan and faculty of National Taiwan Normal University and Asian Youth Orchestra (HK) since 1999. She was former Principal Harpist with the Knoxville and San Antonio Symphony Orchestras in the US and presented her New York debut recital in Carnegie Hall in 2000. Since then, Ms. Chieh has been continually active in the international harp scene, including serving as soloist and jury member at Nippon International Harp Competition, Korea International Harp Festival and Singapore Harpfest.

Ms. Chieh is the founder and artistic director of Pink Moon Music Theatre where she has produced multimedia music theatre works since 2003, such as the award-winning “Blue Mosaic”, ”Scarlet Saraband”, “Double Happiness” and “River”.  In 2015, She founded the Taiwan International Harp Festival where she served as artistic director. The event focused on [Harp vs. Crossover Arts]. The festival was awarded silver prize at the 2016 Pan Pacific Chinese Public Relations Awards. The 2nd TIHF was successfully held again in 2019 to critical acclaim.

Ms. Chieh received her Master of Music degree and Artist Diploma from Indiana University and Diplome Superieur de Concertiste from Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. Her major teachers are among the most prestigious names: Susann McDonald, Catherine Michel, Isabelle Perrin, Han-An Liu and Sophie Clavel. Ms. Chieh has also released four solo recordings under Elite/BMG label and published poetry and travel books in Taiwan. In 2021, her newest solo release “ Chanson de Rivière” was nominated for best instrumental performance of the prestigious Golden Melody Award in Taiwan.  

Dickie Fleisher, USA

“Dickie is perhaps the finest, in my opinion, symphonic harpist in our country”- Erich Kunzel, Conductor. Mr. Fleisher hails from a musical family. He began studying the harp at age 10 with his grandmother, Nettie Druzinsky. His grandfather, Louis Druzinsky, was Principal Second Violin in the St. Louis symphony. His uncle Edward Druzinsky was Principal Harpist with the Chicago Symphony for 40 years. His father is pianist Leon Fleisher. His sister Deborah is the harpist with the Maryland Lyric Opera, the Miami City Ballet, and teaches at Lynn University. His sister Leah is a harpist in the Washington DC area. Mr. Fleisher’s wife, Kayo Ishimaru, received 1st prize at the Paris Conservatory and is the harpist with the Jacksonville Symphony and Grant Park Symphony.

Mr. Fleisher has been Principal Harpist of the Naples Philharmonic since 1983. He has also performed with the Cincinnati Symphony, Grant Park Symphony, Miami City Ballet, and internationally, with the Nagoya Symphony, Lucerne Symphony, National Symphony of Mineria, and the National Symphony of the Dominican Republic. Mr. Fleisher is the director of the Naples Harp Ensemble and teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Mr. Fleisher is also a competitive Table Tennis player, and has been ranked as high as number one in the country in his age group, and has represented the United States in many international competitions.

Mr. Fleisher would like to express his gratitude and appreciation to his teachers: Nettie Druzinsky, Edward Druzinsky, Edward Vito, Lily Laskine, and Jacqueline Borot and her dog Nova.

Judy Loman, Canada

Known as one of today’s outstanding harpists, Judy Loman graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with the celebrated harpist, Carlos Salzedo. Upon graduating from Curtis she became Principal Harpist with the Toronto Symphony and was featured as a soloist on many tours. She retired from the symphony in 2002 and continues with a busy career of teaching, performing and recording. Her large discography includes works she has commissioned for the harp by Canada’s foremost composers. She is a winner of Canada’s Juno Award for Best Classical Recording.

A dedicated teacher, Judy Loman is a Visiting Artist at The Curtis Institute of Music, Adjunct Professor of Harp at the University of Toronto, and Instructor of Harp at the Glenn Gould School, Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.  She has served as President of the Jury for the USA International Harp Competition and been a jurist for the International Harp Contest in Israel and the Vera Dulova International Harp Competition in Moscow. Ms. Loman has been a featured recitalist and concerto soloist at several American Harp Society Conferences and for the World Harp Congress.  

Ms. Loman is a Fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Music and a member of The Order of Canada for her contribution to the Arts in Canada.

Isabelle Perrin, France

Isabelle Perrin, Co-principal Harpist with the Orchestre National de France for over 20 years, has led an international solo career and has been regularly invited to give recitals and concerto performances with prestigious orchestras throughout the world. She has recorded numerous CDs ranging from solo harp repertoire to chamber music and concertos from the 18th century to the present, among them works of Bernard Andrès, Arnold Bax (for flute, viola and harp), F.A. Boieldieu, Pierick Houdy, French repertoire and recently a CD of select works of J.S. and C.P.E. Bach.

In addition to her career as a soloist, Isabelle Perrin, being deeply devoted to teaching, taught at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris from 2001 to 2015. She is now Harp Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, Norway, as well an appointed Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and was Professor at the Music Academy in Krakow, Poland. Her fervor and enthusiasm with students lead her to travel the world to give master classes and courses.

President and Artistic Director to the 6th European Harp Symposium held in France in 2004, Isabelle is currently Artistic Director of the World Harp Congress. She is also an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in London.

In 2007, Isabelle Perrin was knighted in the French Order of the Arts et Lettres by the French Government in recognition to her involvement in the international musical world.