Ruth Bennett won the audition for the principal harp position at Opera Philadelphia and will begin performing with the ensemble this fall. “I love that opera is a collaborative fusion of many facets of art—music, theater, lighting design, sets, and fashion (I’m an avid sewist), not to mention some of the juiciest harp parts in the repertoire! I’m excited to work with this innovative company on traditional staples, as well as new commissions by emerging and established artists,” Bennett says. “I can’t wait to meet my colleagues this fall and perform in the beautiful, historic Academy of Music—the oldest opera house in the nation.”
Born in England, Bennett has performed throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Japan, and currently maintains her schedule between the U.S. and Latin America. Bennett was principal harp of the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra in Merida, Mexico, for 15 years. She most recently held the position of assistant harp professor at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She frequently performs with the New Jersey Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, and Talea Ensemble. She has performed with American Ballet Theater and The Metropolitan Opera and as guest principal harp with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the United Kingdom. She has also accompanied numerous pop and classical artists including Placido Domingo, Renée Fleming, and Icelandic singer Bjork, with whom she toured Mexico City, Europe, and England in 2019 as part of her Cornucopia Ensemble.
Bennett’s awards include third prize at the 2nd Dutch International Harp Contest, first prize in the 2009 Mexico Harp Competition in Mexico City, and awards at the American Harp Society National Competition.
Bennett received her Orchestral Studies Certificate from Manhattan School of Music studying with Deborah Hoffman (Metropolitan Opera), a master’s degree in music performance from Eastman School of Music, and a bachelor’s degree from Crane School of Music at State University of New York (SUNY) Potsdam. Her first harp teacher was her grandmother, a former student of Carlos Salzedo.
