List of harpists

This is a list of people who are notable as harpists, ordered by the first letter of their family name.

A

 * Mike Absalom - English musician (including harp), poet and children's entertainer
 * Ruth Acuff - American singer-songwriter and harpist
 * Kirsten Agresta - American harpist and a board member of the World Harp Congress
 * Pauline Åhman (1812–1904) - Swedish harpist
 * Silke Aichhorn - German harpist
 * Nancy Allen - American harpist
 * Elias Parish Alvars (1808–1849) - English harpist and composer
 * Glafira Alymova (1758–1826) - Russian lady-in-waiting and harpist
 * Jon Anderson - English-American singer, songwriter and musician, and member of the band Yes
 * Fulgencio Aquino (1915–1994) - Venezuelan musician and composer
 * Dorothy Ashby (1932–1986) - American jazz harpist and composer
 * Athy - Argentinian harpist and composer, also known as 'Athy, the electric harp'

B

 * Baby Dee
 * Winifred Bambrick - (1892–1969) - Canadian classical musician and novelist
 * Cormac de Barra - Irish singer, musician, and television presenter; part of the Moya Brennan Band
 * William fitz Robert Barry - (fl. 1615) - blind harper in the service of David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant
 * Derek Bell
 * Elinor Bennett
 * Stephanie Bennett
 * Hugo Blanco
 * Hana Blažíková - (born 1980) - Czech soprano, harpist, and interpreter of Baroque, Medieval, and Renaissance music
 * Nicolas-Charles Bochsa - (1789–1856) - French-Australian musician and composer appointed to the Imperial Orchestra
 * Alexander Boldachev - (born 1990) Swiss Russian composer, arranger, harpist of academic, improvised and crossover work; founder of Zurich Harp Festival
 * Jana Boušková (born 1970)
 * Robin Huw Bowen - Exponent of the Welsh Triple Harp and authentic Welsh harp repertoire
 * Cristina Braga
 * Moya Brennan - (born 1952) - Irish folk singer, songwriter, harpist, and philanthropist; member of Clannad
 * Corina Brouder
 * Giolla Críost Brúilingeach
 * Olivia Buckley
 * Charles Bunworth - (1704 – 1772) - Church of Ireland rector of Buttevant, County Cork, Ireland
 * Patrick Byrne - (c. 1794 – 1863) - last noted Gaelic harpist in Ireland and first Irish musician to be photographed

C

 * Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano
 * Félix Pérez Cardozo
 * Dee Carstensen
 * Edmar Castañeda
 * Clotilde Cerdà (1861–1926), also known as Esmeralda Cervantes
 * Emmanuel Ceysson
 * Cecilia Chailly
 * Alice Chalifoux
 * Máire Ní Chathasaigh - (born 1956) - five-time winner of the All-Ireland music competition
 * Pearl Chertok
 * Elaine Christy
 * Zhay Clark (1895-1980), later known as Zhay Moor
 * Marie-Elizabeth Cléry - (1761–1795) - French composer and harpist in the court of Marie-Antoinette
 * Alice Coltrane
 * Thomas Connellan - (c. 1640 – 1698) - Irish harper and composer whose "Molly St. George" is one of the earliest Irish harp songs with extant lyrics; brother of William Connellan
 * William Connellan - 17th century Irish harper and composer; brother of Thomas Connellan
 * Cécile Corbel - (born 1980) - Breton recording artist and composer

D

 * Abramino dall'Arpa - (1577–1593) - one of the few Jewish musicians in Mantua, Italy in the late 16th century
 * Abramo dall'Arpa - (died 1566) - Italian harpist in the court of Mantua, Italy, and later tutor of the children of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
 * Rhodri Davies - British harpist and composer
 * Mikaela Davis - American musician, harpist, songwriter, vocalist and producer, known for her work with the band Southern Star
 * Vera Dulova (1909–2000) - Russian harpist and instructor
 * Sophia Dussek (1775–1831) - Italian-British harpist, singer and composer

E

 * Osian Ellis (1928–2021) - Welsh harpist, composer and teacher
 * Víctor Espínola - Paraguayan multi-instrumentalist and singer, best known for playing the Paraguayan harp

F

 * Órla Fallon - (born 1974) - Irish soloist, songwriter, and former member of the group Celtic Woman and the chamber choir Anúna
 * Vincent Fanelli - (1881–1966) - Italian-American classical musician and educator, principal harpist of the Philadelphia Orchestra
 * Charles Fanning - (1736 – c. 1792) - winner of Ireland's Granard Harp Festival in 1781, 1782, and 1783
 * Piaras Feiritéar - (c. 1600 – 1653) - poet and Catholic Irish leader
 * Ignacio Figueredo - (1899–1995) - Venezuelan folk musician
 * Catrin Finch - (born 1980) - Welsh harpist, arranger, and composer; Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004
 * Cheryl Ann Fulton - American performer and teacher

G

 * Mara Galassi
 * Marilinda Garcia
 * Stéphanie Félicité, comtesse de Genlis - (1746–1830) - French writer, harpist, and educator known for her children's works
 * Adele Girard
 * Betty Glamann
 * Félix Godefroid
 * Marie Goossens
 * Sidonie Goossens
 * Tristan Le Govic
 * Phamie Gow
 * Marcel Grandjany

H

 * Keiji Haino
 * Rachel Hair - Scottish folk harpist
 * Corky Hale
 * Janet Harbison - Irish harper
 * Ruth Berman Harris
 * Alphonse Hasselmans
 * Petra van der Heide
 * Deborah Henson-Conant
 * Corrina Hewat - (born 1970) - winner of Scotland's Music Tutor of the Year award at the 2013 Na Trads
 * Hugh Higgins - (1737–1791) - blind Irish harper
 * Erin Hill
 * Franziska Huhn - (born 1977) - German-American performer and composer; winner of the Jugend musiziert prize
 * Robert ap Huw

I

 * Varvara Ivanova (born 1987) - Russian harpist

J

 * Angharad James (1677–1749) - Welsh female poet and harpist
 * James James (1832–1902) Welsh musician, composer of the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad fy Nhadau
 * Siân James (born 1961) - Welsh traditional folk singer and harpist
 * Pierre Jamet (1893–1991) - French harpist and teacher
 * Elizabeth Jaxon - American harpist, director of the DHF World Harp Competition and member of the band Atlantic Harp Duo
 * Maria Johansdotter (fl. 1706) - Swedish harpist, folk music player and parish clerk, put on trial for homosexuality and for posing as a man
 * Claire Jones - Welsh harpist
 * Edward Jones (1752–1824) - Welsh harpist and collector of music

K

 * Skaila Kanga
 * Camille and Kennerly Kitt
 * Eduard Klassen
 * Yolanda Kondonassis
 * Maria Korchinska
 * Iris Kroes
 * Johann Baptist Krumpholtz
 * Valeria Kurbatova

L

 * Théodore Labarre - (1805–1870) - French harpist, composer, and professor
 * Lily Laskine - (1893–1988) - French performer and professor who received the Legion of Honour in 1958
 * Mary Lattimore
 * Lucile Lawrence
 * Lucinda Belle
 * Anne LeBaron
 * Caroline Leonardelli - French-Canadian performer and recording artist; principal harpist with the Ottawa Symphony
 * Lloyd Lindroth
 * Judy Loman
 * Lisa Lynne
 * Cornelius Lyons - (1670–1740) - Irish harper of the Earl of Antrim

M

 * Marie Antoinette - last queen of France
 * Cormac MacDermott - (?–1618) - harper with the English Royal Musick
 * Amhlaeibh Mac Innaighneorach - (?–1168) - Chief Harper of Ireland, one of the earliest recorded Irish professional musicians
 * Manuel Machado
 * Mary Macmaster - (born 1955) - Scottish harpist who performs with The Poozies and in the duo Sileas
 * Edouard Mailly (Unknown Date of Birth - Unknown Date of Death, Unknown Age) Harpist who never condemned his crime for murdering his fiancée (Pacifica) out of jealousy by shooting her 2 times with his gun and stabbing her 23 times with his dagger
 * Eileen Malone
 * José Marín
 * Harpo Marx - (1888–1964)
 * Gulnara Mashurova
 * Susann McDonald
 * Marshall McGuire
 * Loreena McKennitt - (born 1957) - Canadian composer and multi-instrumentalist whose albums have sold more than 14 million copies
 * Geraldine McMahon
 * Katie McMahon
 * Lavinia Meijer
 * Luisa Menárguez
 * Anna Maria Mendieta
 * Orazio Michi
 * Susanna Mildonian
 * Valérie Milot - Canadian soloist and chamber musician; the first harpist to win the Prix d’Europe
 * Áine Minogue
 * Rose Mooney
 * David Murphy

N

 * François Joseph Naderman
 * Jean Henri Naderman
 * Fatma Ceren Necipoğlu
 * Lily Neill
 * Joanna Newsom

O

 * Máel Sechnaill Ruadh Ó Braonáin
 * Donell Dubh Ó Cathail
 * Eachmarcach Ó Catháin
 * Ruaidri Dáll Ó Catháin
 * Maol Ruanaidh Cam Ó Cearbhaill
 * Eoghain Ó Cianáin
 * Thady Ó Cianáin
 * Fláithrí Ó Corcrán
 * Cearbhall Óg Ó Dálaigh - (fl. 1630) - Irish poet and harpist
 * Diarmuid Ó Dubhagáin
 * Donnchadh Ó Hámsaigh
 * Mary O'Hara
 * Dominic Ó Mongain
 * Máel Ísa Ó Raghallaigh
 * Turlough O'Carolan
 * Arthur O'Neill
 * Natalia O'Shea
 * Rüdiger Oppermann - (born 1954) - German experimental musician; plays a custom-made clàrsach with 38 gold-plated bronze strings and a special mechanism that allows him to bend notes in a manner akin to blues musicians
 * Coline-Marie Orliac - (born 1989) - two-time winner of the USA International Harp Competition
 * Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
 * David Owen
 * Siobhan Owen - (born 1993) - Welsh-Australian soprano; winner of several music awards including two Irish Music Awards

P

 * Annemiek Padt-Jansen
 * Şirin Pancaroğlu
 * Zeena Parkins
 * John Parry - (1710–1782) - blind Welsh harpist, credited with writing Deck the Halls, inspiration for Thomas Gray's 1757 poem, The Bard (poem)
 * John Parry - (1776–1851) - better known as Bardd Alaw
 * Laura Peperara
 * Roberto Perera
 * Edna Phillips
 * Jemima Phillips
 * Nicholas Dáll Pierce
 * Ann Hobson Pilot - (born 1943) - former principal harpist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops

R

 * Monica Ramos
 * Elizabeth Randles
 * Anna-Maria Ravnopolska-Dean - (born 1960) - Bulgarian concert harpist and academic; a founder of the American University in Bulgaria
 * Casper Reardon
 * Susan Reed
 * Henriette Renié
 * Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz
 * Nansi Richards - (1888–1979) - Welsh harpist appointed official harpist to Charles, Prince of Wales
 * Kim Robertson
 * Marisa Robles
 * Claire Roche
 * Henrik Rohmann - (1910–1978) - Hungarian performer and teacher
 * Clotilde Rosa
 * Mindy Rosenfeld
 * Diana Rowan
 * Jaroslav Řídký - (1897–1956) - Czech composed, conductor, harpist, and teacher

S

 * Floraleda Sacchi - (born 1978) - recording artist, composer, and musicologist from Italy
 * Arnold Safroni-Middleton
 * Victor Salvi
 * Carlos Salzedo
 * Arianna Savall
 * Anne van Schothorst
 * Patsy Seddon - Scottish harpist known for work with The Poozies, Sileas, and Clan Alba
 * Therese Schroeder-Sheker
 * Marianne Smit
 * David Snell (musician)
 * Monika Stadler
 * Serafina Steer
 * Savourna Stevenson
 * Alan Stivell - (born 1944) - Celtic recording artist
 * Jessica Suchy-Pilalis
 * Tomoko Sugawara
 * Andrei Sychra

T

 * Mia Theodoratus
 * John Thomas
 * Thomas Thomas
 * Julia Thornton
 * Miriam Timothy
 * Juan Vicente Torrealba
 * Marcel Tournier
 * Tuotilo
 * JoAnn Turovsky

V

 * Verónica Valerio - Mexican harpist, singer and composer
 * Remy van Kesteren - Dutch harpist and founder of the Dutch Harp Festival
 * Andreas Vollenweider - Swiss harpist
 * Pacifica Zelaya Villegas (1882–1907), 25, Pacifica was murdered (by shooting her 2 times and stabbing her 23 times) by her fiancé Edouard Mailly a few days before she could graduate from the Brussels Conservatory and the first femicide victim

W

 * Maria Jane Williams (c.1795–1873) - Welsh harpist
 * Sylvia Woods (harpist) - American harpist and composer
 * Aristid von Würtzler (1925–1997) - Hungarian-American leader of the New York Harp Ensemble

Y

 * Gráinne Yeats (1925–2013) - Irish harpist, singer and historian
 * Brandee Younger - American harpist

Z

 * Nicanor Zabaleta
 * Liao Zilan
 * Vincenzo Zitello