Elizabeth Hainen

Elizabeth Hainen has earned an international reputation as one of classical music’s great harp ambassadors. Hailed by the Washington Post for her “unusual presence with silky transparency” and by the New York Times for her “earthy solidarity,” Hainen has thrilled audiences throughout the world with programs showcasing the diversity—and virtuosity—of her modern-day instrument. As Solo Harpist with The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1994, she has presented numerous featured performances to captivated audiences and has been praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer for “her ability to blend and color the musical line,” and “to find transparency in an almost timeless atmosphere.” In high demand as a guest artist, Hainen has collaborated with such eminent conductors and musicians as Charles Dutoit, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Michael Tilson Thomas, Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Juilliard String Quartet. In addition to The Philadelphia Orchestra, she has appeared as a featured soloist with the City of London Sinfonia, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Kennedy Center Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia, the Bulgaria National Radio Orchestra, Camerata Ducale in Italy, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Mexico State Symphony, the Vienna Boys Choir, and in numerous recitals at Carnegie Hall. For the 2015-2016 Season, Hainen will release a new recording and appear with Curtis on Tour. A champion of new music, Ms. Hainen gave the US, China, European and Australian Premieres of the Nu Shu: Secret Songs of Women, written especially for her by Tan Dun.

Hainen serves on the faculties of the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music and Temple University and has provided educational outreach to hundreds of school children in urban Philadelphia through her nonprofit foundation The Lyra Society.

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