Lise Vandersmissen | harp
Marjan Hellraeth
Belgian harpist Lise Vandersmissen travels with her modern pedal harp and her Italian Triple Harp to perform across Europe and Asia. Lise was one of the Upcoming Artists (Twintigers) at Klara Radio in Belgium, and won the Supernova Chamber Music Competition with her Aglica Trio in 2024. As a soloist, Lise won Prizes including the First Prize at the 5th International Harp Competition in Slovenia, the Second Prize at the 5th International Harp Competition in Hungary and the Second Prize at the Camac Harp Competition in London. She was awarded the Guildhall Harp Prize and was selected to be a Concordia Foundation Artist, a London Sinfonietta Academist and a UKHA Emerging Artist. She received the Culture Prize in Bilzen, Belgium. She recently completed a sixmonth residency in Hong Kong where she was teaching and performing at an international harp academy.
Lise released her debut solo album in 2023: “TRANSFORMED”, consisting of her own transcriptions for pedal harp solo. In 2024 she released her second solo album “TRE” with Etcetera Records, performed on the Italian triple harp. Both albums were generously sponsored by Flanders State of the Art. “TRE” received a five start review in the MUSICA Magazine by Zecchini Editore, and Brian Robins from Early Music Reviews wrote:
“She displays a mastery of the instrument, playing with an admirable fluency of technique.
… Most importantly, one senses that behind the technical expertise lies true musicality.”
In 2026 she’s releasing her new EP with compositions by Belgian composers: “Our Roots”, with Etcetera Records. Her recordings have been played on Klara, NPO, BBC Introducing and Radio-Canada.
Lise was the first Artist in Residence during the first edition of the Intra Muros Festival n Alden Biesen, Belgium. She performed the Händel Harp Concerto on the Italian Triple Harp with the Bach Academie under Luc Ponet and the London Händel Festival Orchestra under Laurence Cummings.
In June 2019, Lise gave the world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s new piece for solo harp: “Four Meditations”, which was dedicated to her. Lise has performed in prestigious venues such as the Wigmore Hall, the Bozar, the World Harp Congress in Hong Kong and Wales, Milton Court and many more. Lise has played as a concerto soloist with orchestras and ensembles in Poland, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands and the UK, both on the modern pedal harp and on the Italian triple harp. As an orchestral harpist, she regularly plays with English Touring Opera and Royal Northern Sinfonia. She is currently on trial with Scottish Opera.
Lise graduated Magna cum Laude from her Bachelor’s Degree at LUCA School of Arts, Belgium with Lieve Robbroeckx, and with Distinction from her Master’s Degree at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London with Imogen Barford. Upon graduation, she completed a two-year Fellowship at the Guildhall.
AUDIO
