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Melendes appointed to Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Emily Melendes, new principal harpist of Calgary Philharmonic
Emily Melendes is the new principal harpist of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

May 31, 2024

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra has appointed Emily Melendes principal harpist, following international auditions held March 16. Melendes will begin performing with the orchestra in September.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Calgary Philharmonic this fall,” Melendes says. “I look forward to making music with a truly fantastic group of people in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I'm especially excited about the amount of wonderful harp repertoire we will be performing!”

Melendes has performed with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Kansas City Symphony, and the Dallas Symphony. A winner of the national Anne Adams Awards competition, she is also a frequent performer of solo and chamber music. Melendes holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at Austin studying with Delaine Leonard, a master’s degree from The Juilliard School as a student of Nancy Allen, and a second master’s degree in orchestral curatorial studies from Bard College, where she held the position of principal harp in The Orchestra Now under Leon Botstein.

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