Philadelphia harp student Medgina Maitre is the winner of the Lyra Society’s inaugural Ann Hobson Pilot Award and will receive a new concert grand harp valued at $25,000. Maitre began her harp studies with Lyra Society Teaching Artist Elizabeth Steiner. She is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree with Elizabeth Hainen at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance.
Sponsored by Lyon & Healy/Salvi and by Joslyn G. Ewart, the award provides a new concert grand harp to a Lyra Society alum who completes a college degree in music performance and who intends to pursue a professional career as a harpist.
Founded in 2004 by Philadelphia Orchestra principal harpist Elizabeth Hainen, the Lyra Society is a program offering harps and harp lessons at no cost to under-resourced students in Philadelphia schools. In a press release, the Lyra Society says it named the award in honor of Ann Hobson Pilot, citing her influence on making the harp accessible to more students. The Lyra Society describes her as “an internationally celebrated soloist, who, as an African American woman, broke race and gender barriers in the classical music world. Pilot has become a champion for expanding access to musical training for underserved students and for raising awareness about inclusion of underrepresented musicians in orchestras.”
The 2023 Pilot Award was presented at Temple University’s Rock Hall on March 20. The award was given as a surprise as part of a multiple harp concert rehearsal.
Watch the award presentation below.
Learn more about the Lyra Society in our 2019 Q&A with its current executive director, Helen Gerhold. For more information, visit the Lyra Society’s website.
