Winners were announced at the third Thailand International Harp Festival Youth Harp Competition, for harpists age 17 and under, which took place August 9–10, 2016, in Bangkok. Jacqueline Lo, 17, of Hong Kong, was the first prize winner, which included Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand’s trophy and 50,000 baht (approx. $1,500). The prize also includes an upcoming concert appearance at the 8th International Harp Festival in Katowice, Poland. Lo also received the jury’s prize for the best performance of Handel’s “The Harmonious Blacksmith,” and the the prize for the best final-round performance of the new composition “Sunflower,” by Catrin Finch. Winning second prize was Bianca Beng,16, of Singapore, and Marcelina Dabek, 13, of Poland, received third prize.
The competition, which began in 2009, is organized by the Tamnak Prathom Harp Centre and Chulalongkorn University. Participants for the 2016 event came from throughout the region, as well as Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, and Poland. Jury members were Elinor Bennett, Helga Storck, Mieko Inoue Japan, Jie Zhou China, Tongsuang Israngkun na Ayudhya, and Judith Utley U.S.
For more information see the competition’s Facebook page, along with their website at www.thaiharpcompetition.net.
