Emmanuel Ceysson, harp

“With his powerful, virtuosic playing,
Emannuel Ceysson sweeps away all clichés associated with his instrument
… and reveals the harp in all its sparkling splendour"

The program is likely to include the music of
​
Johann Sebastian Bach
Mikhail Glinka, Louis Spohr
Gabriel Fauré, Marcel Tournier

Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 7pm

Artist biography

​Emmanuel Ceysson is one of the world’s leading harpists. In 2020 he joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Principal Harp, having previously held this position at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and before that at Opera de Paris. Since 2005 he has been a presence in such leading venues on the international musical scene as the Wigmore Hall, the Salle Gaveau, Carnegie Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Berlin Philharmonie, where his appearances in recital, concerto repertoire and chamber music regularly win high praise from the press. His unfailing commitment to his instrument has earned him the highest international distinctions. In rapid succession, he won the Gold Medal and a special performance prize at the USA International Harp Competition (Bloomington) in 2004, First Prize and six special prizes at the New York Young Concert Artist Auditions in 2006, and First Prize at the prestigious ARD Competition in Munich in September 2009, thus becoming the first harpist to obtain awards at three major international competitions.
 
Recent concert highlights include the Glière Concerto for Harp with the Oslo Philharmonic, the Tapiola Sinfonietta, Finland, the Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester at the Stefaniensaal of Graz and with the Prague Radio Symphony; the Reinecke Harp Concerto with the Prague Philharmonia; the Saint-Saëns Morceau de concert with the Recreation Orchestra (Graz); performances at the Hong Kong Chamber Music Festival, concerts with Quatuor Voce, his debut with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, solo recitals at the Frick Collection, New York and Teatro del Lago, Chile; Fauré’s Impromptu for Harp Op 86 in Hong Kong; Mozart’s Concerto for Harp and Flute K299 with the Vivaldi Orchestra (Italy) and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (Canada); chamber and orchestral programmes with the Musikkollegium Winterthur; performances at Classical Tahoe and a chamber recital at the Edinburgh International Festival.
 
Upcoming engagements include the world premiere of Joe Hisaishi’s Harp Concerto with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, followed by further performances with the Orchestre National de Bordeaux in Paris and Bordeaux and the Gliere Concerto for Harp with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and the Gävle Symfoniorkester.
 
He was Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 2005 to 2009 and has taught at the International Summer Academy in Nice since 2010. He also gives regular masterclasses in France and in the course of his foreign tours and appearances. In 2010, Emmanuel Ceysson was nominated in the category ‘Solo Instrumental Discovery’ at the Victoires de la Musique Classique. In November 2011 he received a Prix d’Encouragement from the Académie des Beaux-Arts de l’Institut de France (Fondation Simone Del Duca) in recognition of his distinguished early career. Mr. Ceysson is a Naïve recording artist since January 2012 when he released Opéra Fantaisie, a solo album based upon famous operatic arias. He has also recorded the Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp K299 for the Aparte Label with the Orchestre de Chambre Paris, and has recently performed this work with the LA Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel.
 
He has given recitals and educational residencies at countless international venues including the Wolf Trap Foundation in Virginia, North Orange County Community Concerts Association in California, Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Michigan, Mary Baldwin College in Virginia, the Washington Center for the Performing Arts (WA), and Emporia Arts Council in Kansas.
 
Upcoming engagements include further concerts with the Prague Philharmonia and their Music Director, Emmanuel Villaume, in both Prague and in Bratislava for the opening concert of the 2023 Music Festival, his first appearance with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Kirill Karabits and a return to the Recreation Orchestra in Graz to play the Saint-Saens Morceau de Concert. In summer 2023 he will return to the Lake Tahoe Festival and will also appear in recital at the Queen's Hall, Edinburgh as part of this year's Edinburgh International Festival.

For more information about Emmanuel Ceysson, please visit
​https://www.emmanuelceysson.com/