# The International Harp Contest in Israel

The International Harp Contest in Israel is a harp competition. Founded in 1959 by Aharon Zvi Propes in the city of Jerusalem, it was the first competition for the harp in the history of the instrument.

## Past competitions winners

| Year | 1st prize | 2nd prize | 3rd prize | Special prizes |
| 1959 | Susanna Mildonian, Belgium | Suzan Hacket McDonald, USA | Edward Witsenburg, Holland | |
| 1962 | Lynn Turner, United States | Guiliana Albisetti, Italy | Brigitte Deshais du Portail, France | for best performance of Toccata composed by Ami Maayani: Bogumila Lutak, Poland |
| 1965 | Martine Géliot, France | Emilia Moskvitina, Soviet Union | Natalia Strebkova, Soviet Union | |
| 1970 | Chantal Mathieu, France | Catherine Michel, France | Ayoko Shinokazi, Japan | |
| 1973 | Nancy Allen, United States | Grace Wong, USA | Caitriona Yeats, Ireland | |
| 1976 | Ivan Ion Roncea, Romania | Frédérique Cambreling, France | Hazel Kathleen Kienzie, USA | |
| 1979 | Emily Mitchell, United States | Barbara Allen, United States | Irena Kaganovska, Israel | |
| 1982 | Alice Giles, Australia | Linda Aiella, United States and Patricia Tassini, Italy | — | |
| 1985 | Naoko Yoshino, Japan | not awarded | Ieuan Jones, Wales (UK) | |
| 1988 | Isabelle Moretti, France | Lucy Wakeford, UK | — | |
| 1992 | Marie-Pierre Langlamet, France | Yana Boushkova, Czech Republic | Mariko Anraku, Canada | |
| 1994 | not awarded | Anna Makarova, Russia | Godelive Shram, Netherlands | |
| 1998 | Gwyneth Wentink, Netherlands | Christina Bianchi, Italy | Kyo-Jin Lee, Korea | |
| 2001 | Letizia Belmondo, Italy | Jessica Li Zhou, China | Lavinia Meijer, Netherlands | |
| 2003 | Varvara Ivanova, Russia | Julie Bunzel, Israel | Albane Mahe, France | *Gulbenkian prize: Etsuko Shoiji, Japan Israeli Composition prize: Julie Bunzel, Israel Contemporary Piece prize: Varvara Ivanova, Russia Chamber Music prize: Julie Bunzel, Israel |
| 2006 | Sivan Magen, Israel | Cécile Maudire, France | Etsuko Chida, Japan | *Israeli Composition prize: Sivan Magen, Israel Contemporary piece prize: Cécile Maudire, France Mario Falcao prize: Teresa Zimmermann, Germany Renie prize: Sivan Magen, Israel |
| 2009 | not awarded | Ina Zdorovetchi, Moldova | Remy van Kesteren, Netherlands | *Chamber Music prize: Ina Zdorovetchi, Moldova Israeli Commissioned piece prize: Ina Zdorovetchi, Moldova Mario Falcao prize: Remy van Kesteren, Netherlands Renie prize: Emily Levin, United States |
| 2012 | Anais Gaudemard, France | Agne Keblyte, Lithuania | Mai Fukui, Japan | *Semi-Final Prize: In memory of Yona Ettinger: Anais Gaudemard, France For best performance of R. Murray Schafer: The Crown of Ariadne: Anais Gaudemard, France Aharon Zvi and Mara Propes Prize: Agne Keblyte For best performance of Israeli composition by Zvi Avni, Fantasy for harp: Agne Keblite, Lithuania Mario Falcao Prize: Mai Fukui, Japan For best performance of a Free Choice Contemporary Work, in Stage II: Mai Fukui, Japan Semi-Final Round Competitors Maiko Enomoto, Japan Mai Fukui, Japan Anais Gaudemard, France Agne Keblyte, Lithuania Stefania Saglietti, Italy Noël Wan, USA Second Round Competitors Bass, Elizabeth, UK Enomoto, Maiko, Japan Fukui, Mai, Japan Gaudemard, Anais, France Gott, Michelle, USA Guiraud, Alexandra, France Keblyte, Agne, Lithuania Loei, Yi-Yun, Australia Panizza, Martino, Italy Saglietti, Stefania, Italy Sidyagina, Oksana, Russia Vernia, Inbar, Israel Wan, Noel, USA Yoon, Jane, USA Second Round Repertoire: Légende, Henriette Renié Prélude, André Jolivet Choice of Sonata: Dalvimare Viotti Marin Free choice contemporary (to be written after 1985) First Round Competitors: Alquati, Tatiana, Italy Amstutz, Nathalie, Switzerland Bass, Elizabeth, UK Dimitrova, Denitza, Bulgaria Enomoto, Maiko, Japan Fukui, Mai, Japan Galo-Place, Claire, France Gaudemard, Anais, France Gott, Michelle, USA Guiraud, Alexandra, France Keblyte, Agne, Lithuania Loei, Yi-Yun, Australia Montes, Mateo Cristina, Spain Panizza, Martino, Italy Saglietti, Stefania, Italy Sato, Rieko, Japan Scholten, Nick, The Netherlands Shemesh, Sarah, Israel Sidyagina, Oksana, Russia Vernia, Inbar, Israel Vreeburg, Liesbeth, The Netherlands Wan, Noel, USA Widi, Rama, Indonesia Yoon, Jane, USA Young, Tamara, UK Zdorovetchi, Ina, Moldova First Round Repertoire: Sonata in G, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Rhapsodie, Marcel Grandjany Choice of Suite: Suite for Harp, Benjamin Britten Suite in Classic Style, Lynn Palmer Suite pour Harpe, Jean Francaix Fantasy for Harp, Tzvi Avni |
| 2015 | Yuying Chen, China | Anaelle Tourett, France | Eva Tomsic, Slovenia | |
| 2018 | Lenka Petrović, Serbia | Joel von Lerber, Switzerland | Marina Fradin, Israel | *Semi-final prize: Alisa Sadikova, Russia Tjasha Gafner, Switzerland Tatiana Repnikova, Russia Irina Kaganovsky prize: Lenka Petrović, Serbia Joel von Lerber, Switzerland Nadja Dornik, Serbia Mario Falcao Prize: Joan Rafaelle Kim, USA Ropes prize: Joel von Lerber, Switzerland |
| 2021 | Claudia Lucia Lamanna, Italy | Lea Maria Löffler, Germany | Beatriz Cortesão, Portugal | |