Li-Ya Huang – harp, member of the Jury

By Festival 4 Arts on 2 octombrie 2025

“Her performance was dazzling, colorful and delightful. It was no doubt a musical feast.”

—Cincinnati Enquirer

“She is an outstanding harpist who plays with intelligent and thoughtful musicianship, couples with extraordinary technical prowess. Her performances are at a very high musical level of communication and conviction.”

—Susann McDonald, distinguished harp professor of IU Jacobs School of Music

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Li-Ya Huang now holds the position of harp faculty in Tianjin Juilliard School.

Studies

Li-Ya Huang received a DMA from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. She also earned a Master’s degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Pedagogical Activity

She often gives master classes and lecture concerts in music conservatories. These include the Central Conservatory of Music and the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She also visits the National Taiwan University of the Arts and the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.

She was invited as faculty at summer festivals and academies. These include the Orchestra Kids, Forbidden City Harp Academy, and the Forbidden City Summer Harp Class.

Artistic Activity

She was Principal Harp of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra from 2011 to 2020. She also served as Guest Principal Harp of

the BBC Symphony Orchestra,
the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra,
Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and many other leading orchestras.

As a soloist, Li-Ya Huang performs with orchestras and ensembles like:

the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra,
National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra,
Taipei Symphony Orchestra,
One Song Orchestra (Taiwan),
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra,
CCM Philharmonia Orchestra,
the Modern Music Ensemble.

Her repertoire include:

Zhe-Yi Lee’s harp concerto- “Double Happiness”,
Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp,
Handel’s Harp Concerto in Bb Major,
Ravel’s Introduction et Allegro for String Quartet, Flute, Clarinet and Harp,
Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane,
Caplet’s Conte Fantastique.

Huang constantly gave recitals and chamber concerts in Taipei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Macau. She also performed in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, and New York.

She was the guest solo artist at the First and Second Taiwan International Harp Festival and the World Harp Congress. She also performed at the Shanghai International Harp Festival and the Spoleto Music Festival in Italy.

Prizes and Awards

Huang’s multiple awards are many. They include the “Musical Talents Prize” presented by the Taipei Symphony. She also won the top prize of the “Multi-Media New Music Competition” from the World Harp Congress in 2017. Additionally, she was awarded the “Young Promising Artist” of the Taiwan Classical Music Association in 2010. She was the first prize winner of the Taiwan International Harp Competition.

Albums and Recordings

Her first album, Harpy Lab, is a collection of harp compositions by contemporary Taiwanese composers. It was released in March 2018 under the music label “Feeling Good Music Co.” in Taiwan.

As principal harpist, she appeared in significant recordings. These recordings include Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Jaap Van Sweden conducted it under the Naxos label in 2016. Another is Wagner/Maazel’s The Ring Without Words with the NCPA Orchestra, conducted by Lorin Maazel (Sony) in 2013.