The Toronto International Harp Competition has named the winners of its 2026 competition, held online in May, 2026. The competition included 156 contestants, ages 5–25, from 14 countries.
The jury was comprised of four harpists—Catherine Michel, Kathleen Bride, Frances Duffy, and Andrew Chan. The top award winners in each category are invited to perform live at the Toronto International Harp Festival July 6–12, 2026, at the Aga Khan Museum and the Ismaili Centre.
Winners of the top award—highest distinction—in each category are:
Foundation Level—Class A (Age 6-9)
Kylie Xiao, Canada
Hailey He, Canada
Kailey Ching Yau Chiu, Hong Kong
Alex Gu, USA
Foundation Level—Class B (Age 10-13)
Athena Li, Canada
Winnie Wang, Canada
Yu Sze Caitlyn Yip, Hong Kong
Riley Reed, USA
Foundation Level—Class C (Age 13+)
Pourochista Azizi, Canada
Frances Lyle-Murray, USA
Intermediate Level—Class A (Age 6-9)
Isabella Zhang, Canada
Sum Yin Lai, Hong Kong
Elizabeth Lam, Hong Kong
Intermediate LevelClass B (Age 10-13)
Giselle Choy, Canada
Claire Huang, Canada
Yuet Lilian Ho, Hong Kong
Salome Henrich, Germany
Intermediate Level—Class C (Age 14 – 17)
Sophie Sum Yan Wong, Canada
Penelope Schweizer, USA
Advanced Level—Class A (Age 13 and under)
Giselle Choy, Canada
Siyu Qi, China
Zhinuo Huangfu, China
Pengxi Liu, China
Tina Pantaleo, Italy
Advanced Level—Class B (Age 14-16)
Cameron Gajadhar, Canada
Kayla Chan, Canada
Noelle Simpson, Canada
Jonathan Schmitt, Germany
Eve Betty Lou Pfotenhauer, Germany
Advanced Level—Class C (Age 17-19)
Iona Soltau, Germany
Yin-Chien Chang, Taiwan
Advanced Level—Class D (Age 20+)
Zoë Milne, Canada
Performance Level—Class A (Age 15 and under)
Jamie Shi, Canada
Natalie Chee, Canada
Charisma Kate Chow, Canada
Xenia Silvatici, Italy
Performance Level—Class B (Age 16-19)
Nicole Samareva, Bulgaria
Siyu Chen, China
Clara Swanson Ohl, Germany
Róise Ní Laoire, Ireland
Caitlin Tignor, USA
Performance Level—Class C (Age 20-25)
Anastasiya Uvarava, Belarus
Catherine Reid, United Kingdom
Hallie Bentschneider, USA
Zoë Winn, USA
Life Long Learning—Advanced Class (Age 30+)
Nhan Do, Australia
Jianhua Feng, Hong Kong
For more information and a complete list of winners, visit the competition website at www.iHarpFest.com/competition.
