Harp Concerto

• Higdon composed this concerto in 2018, and it premiered in May of that year in a performance by the Rochester Philharmonic¹ and Yolanda Kondonassis.²
• Higdon wrote the concerto for Kondonassis, and dedicated it to her.³

“I love writing concerti because it gives me a chance to not only explore the different instruments’ qualities, but also because I get to experience the joy of the performer in displaying those qualities. Yolanda Kondonassis’ enthusiasm for her instrument is infectious.”

Jennifer Higdon, on her Harp Concerto.⁴

“The journey of bringing Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto to life has been an amazing ride. We agreed on many aspects of what a new harp concerto should be – strong, agile, lyrical, feisty, energetic and even heroic when necessary; it should be challenging, but really fun to play, and it should have a groove that allows the harpist to catch a musical wave with the orchestra once in a while. Jennifer managed all this and more, delivering a work that is all at once powerful, heart-wrenching, whimsical, and original.”

Yolanda Kondonassis, on Higdon’s Harp Concerto.⁵

• This concerto won the 2020 Grammy award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.⁶ The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Higdon learned of her Grammy win while on the way home from giving a lecture at the Opera Company of Philadelphia:⁷

“At which point I started jumping up and down on Spruce Street yelling, ‘I won a Grammy!’ A lot of people were looking at me like I was mad. I think I’m in shock, to be honest. It’s always a shock. I probably won’t sleep for two days.”

Jennifer Higdon, on learning she’d won a Grammy for her Harp Concerto⁸

1. Brad S. Ross, “Interview with Jennifer Higdon,” ArtsComment (February 25, 2018), accessed July 30, 2021, https://artscomment.com/2018/02/25/interview-with-jennifer-higdon/. 
2. Daniel J. Kushner, “Classical review: RPO performs Brahms and a Higdon world premiere,” City News (May 11, 2018), accessed July 30, 2021, https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/classical-review-rpo-performs-brahms-and-a-higdon-world-premiere/Content?oid=6437934. 
3. “Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis’ New Album Features Powerful, Whimsical Harp Concerto by Jennifer Higdon,” Classical Post (May 22, 2019), accessed July 30, 2021, https://classicalpost.com/read/2019/5/22/yolanda-kondonassiss-new-album-harp-concerto-jennifer-higdon.  
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. “Jennifer Higdon Wins Grammy for Harp Concerto,” The Curtis Institute, accessed July 30, 2021, https://www.curtis.edu/news-folder/spring-2020/higdon-wins-grammy-for-harp-concerto/. 
7. Dan DeLuca, “Billie Eilish sweeps major awards, as Grammys mourn Kobe Bryant,” Philadelphia Inquirer January 26, 2020, https://www.inquirer.com/news/grammy-philadelphia-jennifer-higdon-bradley-cooper-randy-brecker-kobe-bryant-20200127.html. 
8. Ibid.