The 2019 winners following the awards ceremony, from left: Anya Garipoli and Claire Thai (winner Noël Wan not pictured)
On March 16, Anya Garipoli, Claire Thai, and Noël Wan were chosen as the three winners in the 2019 Lyon & Healy Awards in Chicago. With 54 competitors performing Jacques de la Presle’s Le Jardin Mouillé and Nino Rota’s Sarabanda e Toccata, the competition spanned three days and was judged by Sarah Bullen, Paula Page, and Yolanda Kondonassis. The jury elected to name five honorable mentions: Hannah Cope, Chelsea Lane, Adam Phan, Juan Riveros, and Grace Roepke. Each winner received $2,500 to further their education and a $500 Lyon & Healy gift certificate, and the honorable mentions were awarded $250 Lyon & Healy gift certificates.
Page, the professor of harp at Rice University, says, “The level of playing was very high, and we heard some outstanding talent. I went in expecting it to be difficult to hear the same two pieces played by 54 harpists. Because the personalities behind the performances were so varied, it was actually fascinating to hear the interpretations and performances.” Wan agrees, saying, “The diversity of expression really just shows how beautifully different and richly layered we all are as musicians, and regardless of any competition results, I think it is really important to be committed to one’s own artistry and just own it.” She adds, “I am grateful that the judges responded positively to my musical choices.”
From left: Anya Garipoli, Paula Page, Yolanda Kondonassis, Sarah Bullen, Marco Salvi, Janet Harrell, and Claire Thai
Wan, the first and youngest harpist to win the Dutch Harp Competition, is currently a doctoral candidate at University of Illinois. She received her master’s degree from Yale University and her bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois. Anya Garipoli was a 2016 winner of the Anne Adams Awards Competition and currently studies at Oberlin Conservatory with Yolanda Kondonassis. Claire Thai attends Curtis Institute of Music and was last seen at the 13th World Harp Congress in Hong Kong, where she was showcased as a Focus on Youth performer.
For more information about the competition, please visit www.lyonhealy.com.
