13th USA International Harp Competition Rules & Procedures
The 13th USA International Harp Competition (USAIHC) will take place in summer 2025 in Bloomington, Indiana. It is open to harpists of all nationalities between the ages of 18 and 32. The age qualifying date is May 15, 2025. Acceptance will be based upon submitted application materials, which are reviewed by a selection committee.
All stages of the Competition are open to the public and take place on an open stage without a screen.
Venues will be consistently set-up for each day of a Stage. This includes identical placement of acoustical curtains as well as placement of reserved seats for jury members.
Harp movers place the performance harp on stage in a marked and pre-selected position. The placement will be the same for all contestants and cannot be changed by the contestant.
For Stages I, II, and III, audience applause is permitted as contestants enter and leave the stage, and at the completion of their performance. There is to be no applause between pieces.
Contestants draw numbers to determine the order in which they perform. If necessary, minor adjustments may be made to the performance sequence to accommodate each contestant’s desired performance harp. The order of performance will be used throughout all stages of the Competition.
After 10 p.m. EDT of the day of the Opening Ceremony, active contestants may not have any contact with jury members. Questions from an active contestant to the jury must be directed to the Executive Director, who speaks to the jury on the contestant’s behalf.
Specific time during the Competition will be set aside for the jury to meet with contestants who are no longer active to share performance insights and to answer questions.
All works must be performed by memory, with the exception of the required 8th USAIHC Ruth Inglefield Composition Contest winning composition in Stage III. There are no numerical score benefits accorded to a contestant who memorizes the new composition.
For Stages I, II, and III, each contestant may choose the sequence of works to be performed.
In Stage III, the total of each contestant’s program should not exceed 45 minutes, including breaks between pieces. The Jury President may stop a performance if the contestant’s program exceeds this time limit. One additional minute will be permitted for tuning the harp between pieces.
If a string breaks during any round of the Competition, the Jury President determines where the contestant should restart the work after string replacement.
Harps and individual practice-room times are provided to all active contestants. Guaranteed practice time is to be consistent for all active contestants. Participants may use their personal instruments at their own liability and cost.
The results of Stages I, II, and III are posted on a wall near the Competition Office (MA020), on the USAIHC website (www.usaihc.org), and on the USAIHC social media accounts (www.facebook.com/usaihc, https://www.instagram.com/usaihc_/).
The announcement of all prizewinners takes place during the Closing Ceremony immediately following jury deliberations after the Stage IV performances. Results and all prizes are announced publicly from the podium as well as posted on the USAIHC website (www.usaihc.org), and on the USAIHC social media accounts (www.facebook.com/usaihc, https://www.instagram.com/usaihc_/) following the Closing Ceremony.
Applicable deductions shall be withheld from the gross amount of prize payments as required by law. If a deduction or withholding is required, the amount shall be remitted to the appropriate governmental authority within the required time and documentation shall be furnished to the prizewinner to support a claim for any entitled tax credit. Import taxes may be applicable for the first prizewinner’s receipt of the Lyon & Healy harp.
