Toronto International Harp Competition 2026
Congratulations to all 156 Contestants from 14 Countries!
Every Performance showed Courage & Passion.
Continue Nurturing your Talent and Inspire others by your Dedication.
May your Achievement Inspire you to keep reaching for New Heights!
Result Announcements
Foundation Level
Class A (Age 6-9)
Highest Distinction
Kylie Xiao, Toronto Canada
Hailey He, Toronto Canada
Kailey Ching Yau Chiu, Hong Kong SAR
Alex Gu, North Haven Connecticut USA
Excellence
Ellie Zhang, Vancouver Canada
Isabella Chloe Leung, Vancouver Canada
Lucas Suo, Vancouver Canada
Ella Wang, Toronto Canada
Cecilia Chen, Toronto Canada
Anya Patel, Basking Ridge New Jersey USA
Honours
Ella Zheng, Toronto Canada
Xinyi Annika Louise Otto, Heidelberg Germany
Ruth Pflüger, Stuffgart Germany
Special Mention
Reagan Chu, Toronto Canada
Michael Chan, Hong Kong SAR
Merit
Alexa Tang, Ottawa Canada
Kay Xuan Tiong, Taipei Taiwan
Foundation Level
Class B (Age 10-13)
Highest Distinction
Athena Li, Toronto Canada
Winnie Wang, Toronto Canada
Yu Sze Caitlyn Yip, Hong Kong SAR
Riley Reed, Nashville Tennessee USA
Excellence
Hey Ching Cheung, Hong Kong SAR
Aryana Lall, San Francisco California USA
Honours
Clara Dumitrescu, Toronto Canada
Merit
Lindsey Hu, Hong Kong SAR
Sebastian Felipe Sosa Smatrala, Dublin Ireland
Georgette Tramontin, Brentwood Tennessee USA
Zoe Grace Cooper, Crossville Tennessee USA
Foundation Level
Class C (Age 13+)
Highest Distinction
Pourochista Azizi, Toronto Canada
Frances Lyle-Murray, Nashville Tennessee USA
Excellence
Tiara Kiaei, Toronto Canada
Intermediate Level
Class A (Age 6-9)
Highest Distinction
Isabella Zhang, Toronto Canada
Sum Yin Lai, Hong Kong SAR
Sin Yu Valerie Lau, Hong Kong SAR
Excellence
Skyla Chen, Vancouver Canada
Aureja Wergin, Heidelberg Germany
Honours
Tammy Zhao Xue, Beijing China
Special Mention
Kendall Xu, Beijing China
Merit
You Han Gao, Taipei Taiwan
Intermediate Level
Class B (Age 10-13)
Highest Distinction
Giselle Choy, Toronto Canada
Claire Huang, Vancouver Canada
Yuet Lilian Ho, Hong Kong SAR
Salome Henrich, Heidelberg Germany
Excellence
Oliver Yang, Perth Australia
Mindy Zhang, Toronto Canada
Sithara McLeod, Vancouver Canada
Yinuo Hu, Shanghai China
Maria-Elisabeth Glaser, Heidelberg Germany
Mathilda Strissel, Heidelberg Germany
Artemisia Hou-yue Lai, Hong Kong SAR
Ameya Patel, Basking Ridge New Jersey USA
Constance Schwartz, Saratoga California USA
Honours
Nita Hermosa Zhang, London Canada
JingChu Isabella Zhang, Toronto Canada
Avery Wong, Toronto Canada
Hannah Watkins, Southfield Michigan USA
Aryana Lall, San Francisco California USA
Abhinaya Balakrishnan, Milpitas California USA
Gloria Li, Falls Church, Virginia USA
Sophia Jhun, San Mateo California USA
Special Mention
De-shu Tatsu Tsai, Taipei Taiwan
Ana Beak, Naperville Illinois USA
Merit
Chloé Sauce, Tokyo Japan
Annabella Li, Toronto ON
Intermediate Level
Class C (Age 14 - 17)
Highest Distinction
Sophie Sum Yan Wong, Toronto Canada
Penelope Schweizer, Madisonville Kentucky USA
Excellence
Anosha Azizabadifarahani, Toronto Canada
Minerva Able, San Jose California USA
Alice Cramer, Nashville Tennessee USA
Honours
Bella Chang, Sunnyvale California USA
Merit
Arianna Gagnon, Glasgow United Kingdom
Intermediate Level
Class D (Age 18+)
Excellence
Wanjun Jin, Victoria Australia
Horace Wan, Toronto Canada
Advanced Level
Class A (Age 13 and under)
Highest Distinction
Giselle Choy, Toronto Canada
Siyu Qi, Beijing China
Zhinuo Huangfu, Beijing China
Pengxi Liu, Beijing China
Tina Pantaleo, Trieste Italy
Excellence
Bella Sun, Sydney Australia
Caressa Peng, Sydney Australia
Kaitlin Janelle Hui, Vancouver Canada
Dingyi Chen, Gatineau Canada
Ellisha Ling, Toronto Canada
Estelle Benard, Nice France
Viola John, Stuttgart Germany
Honours
Tania Or, Toronto Canada
Charlotte Hong, Hong Kong SAR
Ho Yee Ho, Hong Kong SAR
Alex Kuartz, Mountain View California USA
Shuran Gu, Foster City California USA
Noor Taneja, Boston Massachusetts USA
Merit
Hanna Li, Vancouver Canada
Daphne Chum, Hong Kong SAR
Advanced Level
Class B (Age 14-16)
Highest Distinction
Cameron Gajadhar, Regina Canada
Kayla Chan, Toronto Canada
Noelle Simpson, Toronto Canada
Jonathan Schmitt, Staig Germany
Eve Betty Lou Pfotenhauer, Stuttgart Germany
Excellence
Lintong Xie, London Canada
Jinxuan Guo, Toronto Canada
Audrina Li, Toronto Canada
Ella Li, Toronto Canada
Honours
Yan Kiu Cheng, Hong Kong SAR
Xi Min Jadyn Shea, Hong Kong SAR
Karissa Ko, Taipei Taiwan
Merit
Auréa Hartshorn-Walton, Ottawa Canada
Cynthia Cheng, Taipei Taiwan
Celina Mikhael, Vienna Virginia USA
Advanced Level
Class C (Age 17-19)
Highest Distinction
Iona Soltau, Flensburg Germany
Yin-Chien Chang, Taipei Taiwan
Excellence
Tin Wing Tia Lau, Vancouver Canada
Brittany Tam, Toronto Canada
Jia Ni Wei, Tianjin China
Honours
Fedora Wang, Toronto Canada
Advanced Level
Class D (Age 20+)
Highest Distinction
Zoë Milne, London Canada
Excellence
Muirne Griffin, Cork Ireland
Merit
Greta Heisey, Murfreesboro Tennessee USA
Performance Level
Class A (Age 15 and under)
Highest Distinction
Jamie Shi, Toronto Canada
Natalie Chee, Toronto Canada
Charisma Kate Chow, Vancouver Canada
Xenia Silvatici, Florence Italy
Excellence
Phelicia Wen, Vancouver Canada
Mo Xuan Bai, Beijing China
Nga Yin Valerie Liu, Hong Kong SAR
Sena Lee, Vienna Virginia
Honours
Bonnie Wong, Vancouver Canada
Annabella Mi, Ann Arbor Michigan USA
Performance Level
Class B (Age 16-19)
Highest Distinction
Nicole Samareva, Solfia Bulgaria
Siyu Chen, Guangzhou China
Clara Swanson Ohl, Stuttgart Germany
Róise Ní Laoire, Dublin Ireland
Caitlin Tignor, Los Angeles California USA
Excellence
Omkara Patel, Toronto Canada
Aini Guo, Toronto Canada
YiHe Mo, Suzhou China
Honours
Sharlize Hiu Ching, Toronto Canada
Sylvia Li, Vancouver Canada
Andrew Warmenhoven, Bethesda Maryland USA
Performance Level
Class C (Age 20-25)
Highest Distinction
Anastasiya Uvarava, Minsk Belarus
Catherine Reed, London United Kingdom
Hallie Bentschneider, Nashville Tennessee USA
Zoë Winn, Denton Texas USA
Excellence
Esther Hiu Lam Tang, Hong Kong SAR
Klara Poznachowska, Warsaw Poland
Daniel Reeder, Monroe North Carolina USA
Honours
Maria Cristina Chiarelli, Cosenza Italy
Life Long Learning
Age 30+
Advanced Class
Highest Distinction
Nhan Do, Victoria Australia
Jianhua Feng, Hong Kong SAR
Excellence
Cao Ye, Heilongjiang China
Intermediate Class
Excellence
Hope McCracken, San Diego California USA
Take Notes:
-
Award certificates and jury's written feedback will be emailed to each contestant by the end of Monday June 1st, 2026.
-
Live Performance Invitations will be extended to the contestants who received Highest Distinction of all categorizes, to perform live at Toronto International Harp Festival 2026. Confirmation of acceptance must be received by end of Wednesday June 3rd 2026 Eastern Standard time.
Teacher Acknowledgement:
Behind every young musician's achievement is a dedicated mentor. We thank the following 60 teachers from 14 countries & regions for their commitment to developing and encouraging their students' musical growth. They have helped their students shine in our competition.
Australia
Yi-Yun Loei, Perth
Glavier Aldana, Victoria
Natalie Wong, Sydney
Katia Mestrovic, Victoria
Belarus
Iluinskaya Elena, Minsk
Bulgaria
Kohar Andonyan, Sofia
Canada
Andrew Chan, Toronto
Kathleen Gahagan, London
Natalie Hoffman, Ottawa
Angela Schwarzkopf, Ottawa
Caroline Leonardelli, Ottawa
Joy Yeh, Vancouver
Elizabeth Volpé Bligh, Vancouver
Miya Otake, Vancouver
Rossana Chiu, Vancouver
China
Liya Huang, Beijing
Jason Chang, Shanghai
Shimeng Sun, Beijing
Wenxuan Tang, Shanghai
Wang Guan, Beijing
Xiaolian Zheng, Guangzhou
Qin Shi, Suzhou
France
Magali Pyka de Coster, Nice
Germany
Sabrina von Lüdinghausen, Stuttgart
Alma Klemm, Flensburg
Hong Kong SAR
Yany Tse
Kilby Li
Lydia Wong
Lee Wai Ying
Tsz Shun Chan
Edith Pun
Eva Ng
Petite Chan
Ireland
Anne-Marie Papin Labazordière, Cork
Rosanna Moore, Dublin
Italy
Tatiana Donis, Trieste
Albarosa Di Lieto, Cosenza
Emiliana Sessa, Florence
Japan
Kaori Otake, Tokyo
Taiwan
FengYu Shih, Taipei
Shannon Chieh, Taipei
United Kingdom
Sharron Griffiths,Glasgow
United States of America
June Han, New York New York
Margot Bingham, Ann Arbor Michigan
Kristal Schwartz, Bay Area California
Carol McClure, Burns Tennessee
Melissa Dvorak, Vienna Virginia
Chanah Ambuter, Southfield Michigan
Lynn Taffin, San Francisco California
Kathleen Bride, Rochester, New York
Janice Ortega, Foster City California
Yoojin Jung, Naperville Illinois
Franziska Huhn, Boston Massachusetts
Jaymee Haefner, Denton Texas
Megan Sesma, North Haven Connecticut
Merynda Adams, Basking Ridge New Jersey
Elizabeth Markey, Los Angeles California
Total teachers listed: 60
Jury
Catherine Michel
International Soloist;
former Principal Harp,
Paris Opera Orchestra
Kathleen Bride
Professor Emerita,
Eastman School of Music
Rochester, NY USA
Frances Duffy
Principal Harp, Wheeling and Allentown Symphonies; member - American Ballet Theatre Orchestra
Andrew Chan
Artistic Director,
Toronto International Harp Festival; Harps on the Hill