CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FOR HARP

The harp was the first instrument to welcome me into the world of composing. Its resonance, fragility, and luminous color opened a door to a musical language I had not yet discovered. This page gathers my contemporary music for harp across solo works, chamber pieces, and vocal settings. Performers and teachers will find repertoire that explores the instrument’s expressive depth, clarity, and poetic voice.

Contemporary Music for Harp

Modern harp repertoire has expanded significantly in the 20th and 21st centuries, with composers exploring new colors, extended techniques, and innovative textures. My works for harp reflect this evolution, offering pieces that range from intimate solos to chamber and vocal settings. The sections below present my contributions to the harp repertoire across solo, chamber, and theatrical contexts.

UNACCOMPANIED HARP

SOLO

East of the Cane Fields
8' | harp solo

CHAMBER MUSIC WITH HARP

chamber

Seven Haiku
12' | for flute (or alto flute) and harp

Veiled Echoes
15' | flute, viola and harp

Quartet for Flute, Clarinet Bassoon and Harp
27' | flute (doubles piccolo), clarinet, bassoon and harp

Flashes of Decay
12' | flute / piccolo; English horn; clarinet / bass clarinet; horn; tuba; percussion (2); harp; piano

VOCAL MUSIC WITH HARP

vocal

A’l Mishcavi Baleylot (Upon my bed by night)
5' | soprano and harp

Spring Calls
for soprano and ensemble
10' 30" | leggiero soprano (also plays small percussion instruments),flute, viola, cello and harp

Sheet Music for Harp:

About Contemporary Harp Repertoire

The harp repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries includes a wide range of solo works, chamber pieces, and concert works that have shaped the instrument’s modern identity. The list below highlights influential pieces that are frequently performed, studied, and recorded. This curated selection is offered as a resource for performers and teachers exploring contemporary harp music, alongside my own works for the instrument.

Key 20th–21st Century Harp Repertoire

Solo Unaccompanied Harp

Luciano Berio: Sequenza II (1963)
Benjamin Britten: Suite for Harp, Op. 83 (1969)
Paul Hindemith: Sonata for Harp (1939)
Elliott Carter: Bariolage (1992)
Lior Navok: East of the Cane Fields (2001)
André Caplet: Divertissements (1924)
Jean-Michel Damase: Thème et variations (1995)
Peggy Glanville-Hicks: Harp Sonata (1953)
Carlos Salzedo: Scintillation (1936)
Alan Hovhaness: Harp Sonata, Op. 127 (1954)
Henriette Renié: Légende (1903)
Sophia Gubaidulina: Five Etudes for Harp (1965)
Caroline Lizotte: Suite Galactique, Op. 39 (2000)
Vincent Persichetti: Parable VII for Solo Harp (1973)
Alberto Ginastera: Sonata for Harp, Op. 32 (1968)
Bertold Hummel: Gregorian Fantasy for Harp (1994)
Howard J. Buss: Awakening (2010)
David Bruce: Caja de Musica (2009)
Germaine Tailleferre: Sonate pour harpe (1953)
Ernst Krenek: Sonata for Harp, Op. 150 (1955)

Harp in Chamber and Vocal Music

Lior Navok: Veiled Echoes (2000) — Flute, Viola, and Harp
Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols (1942) — Harp and Choir
Claude Debussy: Sonate pour flûte, alto et harpe (1915)
Maurice Ravel: Introduction et Allegro (1905) — Harp, Flute, Clarinet, and Strings
Lior Navok: A'l Mishkavi Baleylot (1992) — Soprano and Harp
Benjamin Britten: Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus (1974) — Harp and Tenor
Benjamin Britten: A Birthday Hansel (1975) — Harp and Voice
Karlheinz Stockhausen: Freude (2005) — Harp Duo
Toru Takemitsu: And then I knew 'twas Wind (1992) — Flute, Viola, and Harp
Witold Lutosławski: Three Fragments (1953) — Flute and Harp
Lior Navok: Seven Haiku (2024) — Flute and Harp
Kaija Saariaho: New Gates (1996) — Flute, Viola, and Harp