Anneleen Lenaerts

Anneleen Lenaerts

The harmony she produces touches everyone directly…the music is hers as if she were speaking. Everything appears effortless: whether in most virtuoso transitions or moments of the greatest delicacy, she takes the time to make every note speak…

Still aged only 23, the Belgian harpist Anneleen Lenaerts is making a name for herself as one of the finest young harpists of today. Her extraordinary talent made her perform all over Europe to great acclaim. Her harp playing is known for its colourful and warm sound, perfect timing and deep musical expression. In December 2010 Anneleen was appointed Principal Harp of the Vienna Philharmonic.

Anneleen started playing the harp at the age of 9 with Lieve Robbroeckx and worked with her continuously for nine years. She studied further with Isabelle Perrin in Paris and Jana Bouskova at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, graduating from everywhere with the highest distinction. Anneleen also studied harmony, counterpoint and fugue at the Brussels Conservatory.

From the very beginning Anneleen showed great musical talent and started winning an impressive amount of prizes in international harp competitions at a very young age: Concours International de Harpe Felix Godefroid, Concours International de Harpe et Orchestre, International Harp Competition Gödöllö, Josef Reinl Wettbewerb, USA International Harp Competition, Concurso Internacional de Arpa Arpista Ludovico and in 2005 the prestigious Grand Prix International Lily Laskine in France, where she also obtained the prizes for the best interpretation of Bach’s Chaconne and for the compulsory work of Karol Beffa. In 2009 she was a prizewinner in the Internationaler
Wettbewerb der ARD München where she also won the audience prize. Anneleen has been awarded several times for her remarkable results. The Flemish government honoured her with the YoTaM Prize. She was also awarded ‘le Prix Culturel International de la Jeunesse’ by the governor of Basse and Haute Normandy ant the Cultural Commission of Lions Club Deauville, the Prize of the Artistic Foundation Mathilde E. Horlait-Dapsens, the Prize Lunssens and Van Straelen and she became a laureate of the ‘Fondation Groupe Populaire’ in Paris in 2010. She has given solo recitals all through Europe and was repeatedly praised for her simplicity, musicality and virtuosity. She has made her debut in prestigious halls such as the Wigmore Hall London, the Salle Gaveau Paris, the Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg,…
Anneleen has performed as a soloist with well-known orchestras in Belgium and elsewhere, such as the Mozarteum Orchester, and the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the Brussels Chamber Orchestra, …