Clíona Doris Harp

"Impressive playing and absorbing music . . . [her] projected tone, rhythmic animation and quiet panache making the most of each piece"
The Irish Times

One of Ireland’s leading harpists, Clíona Doris has extensive experience as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. She has performed throughout Ireland, Britain, Europe and the United States. The Irish Times describes her playing as “stylish and communicative” and displaying “ unaffected technical mastery.” Her broadcasts include solo performances on National Public Radio USA, BBC, UTV and RTÉ, and a concerto performance for BBC Television.

Born in Northern Ireland, Clíona graduated from The Queen's University of Belfast with the Bachelor of Music Honours Degree. She continued her studies in the United States with the acclaimed harpist, Susann McDonald, at the world-renowned Indiana University School of Music, Bloomington, where she graduated in 1997 with the Doctor of Music Degree in Harp Performance and Music Literature. While at Indiana University, she was awarded an Indiana University Fellowship and won the Indiana University Concerto Prize. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Marisa Robles Harp Prize (1998 Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition, an Abbado European Young Musicians Trust Award, the 'Diploma di Merito' (Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Sienna, Italy) and awards from The Arts Council Ireland and The Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Previous engagements include performances at the Sixth World Harp Congress, Seattle-Tacoma, USA, the Eighth World Harp Congress in Geneva, Switzerland and the 'Crossroads of Tradition' Inter-American Twentieth-Century Music Festival, USA. She has given solo recitals at the National Concert Hall Dublin, Royal Dublin Society, Mostly Modern Series Dublin, Belfast Festival at Queen’s, St Martin-in-the-Fields and St James's Piccadilly in London. Clíona performs as a soloist on Music Network’s Musicwide Programme. An active exponent of contemporary music, Clíona is a member of the new music ensemble, Vox21.

Highlights in 2003 include a recital tour of Malta on the invitation of the British Council, performances at the Vogler Spring Festival in Sligo, and the release of her first solo CD, “in blue sea or sky” on the Riverrun Label.

Clíona is Chairman of the Ninth World Harp Congress, which Dublin will host in July 2005. She is a member of the String Faculty of the Royal Irish Academy of Music.