Praised as a "beautiful artist with unlimited potential", harpist Clara Wang has captivated audiences around the globe with her performances. She has appeared as a soloist in Boston (Jordan Hall), Montreal (La Maison Symphonique), Taipei (Eslite Performance Hall), and Sydney, Australia. Since January 2024, she has served as Principal Harp of the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra. 

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She has received top prizes in various competitions, including at the 2018 OSM Manulife Competition, where she was awarded first prize, the Banff Arts Centre, and Schulich School of Music prizes. Other competition experiences include the USA International Harp Competition, the American Harp Society National Competition, the Toronto Harp Society Scholarship Competition, and the Young Artist's Harp Competition.  

 

An avid orchestral musician, Clara can also be seen performing with numerous groups around Toronto, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Canadian Opera Company. Her orchestral journey began at the New England Conservatory's Preparatory School in 2011. In 2017, she received an Award of Excellence from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, later returning for their 2019 Frenergy Tour. Her work with these groups has taken her across Iceland, Argentina, and 9 cities and provinces of Canada.

 

In previous years, Clara has studied with internationally acclaimed harpists Emmanuel Ceysson, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Ann Hobson Pilot, and June Han at the Académie Internationale d’Eté de Nice, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Bowdoin International Music Festival, respectively. She has also studied privately or in masterclasses with Heidi Bearcroft, Alice Giles, Jessica Zhou, Susann McDonald, Mariko Anraku, and Caroline Lizotte.

 

A native of Boston, MA, Clara began studying harp in 2007 with Franziska Huhn. She holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours from The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto under the tutelage of world-renowned harpist Judy Loman. 

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Outside of music, Clara enjoys painting and works as an accessibility coordinator and live captioner – a job she took during the COVID-19 pandemic when she stepped away from playing the harp entirely. Clara deeply appreciates this time for fostering her gratitude for creativity and for the people around her who enrich her life.

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As of: May 2024