ABOUT.

Helena has already made huge strides into her own creative world. Her musical language is innovative and multifaceted.
— Sioned Williams, Principal Harpist, BBC Symphony Orchestra (1990-2018)
Fast becoming a leading harpist of her generation
— Richard Wintour, Supporter of Wigmore Hall and Leeds International Piano Competition
An augmented harpist
— La Tribune de Genève

— A MULTIFACETED MUSICIAN

Helena Ricci is an award-winning, visionary Swiss classical harpist and creative entrepreneur based in London. Known as “an augmented harpist” (Tribune de Genève, 2024), she weaves music with other art forms through cross-disciplinary productions, pioneers new transcriptions and a forward-thinking approach to concert curation. As a media composer, she is currently composing the original soundtrack of a video game. 

— A FREE AND AMBITIOUS SPIRIT

Helena Ricci deliberately chose to forge a path outside the traditional competition circuit to pursue her own creative vision. Her MUS!LUX project — Music + Light = Magic — invites audiences to (re)discover classical music in a new light, in and outside the concert hall.

— A VISION BEYOND MUSIC

MUS!LUX started with the question: How can we, as musicians of our time, best serve our audiences? In 2024 and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Ricci was the sole Creative Project Development Resident at the prestigious Verbier Festival Academy. It saw the creation of her innovative AV show ANIMA. Ricci was featured in an artist portrait by the Swiss national television RTS on Swiss National Day. Last season, she produced and performed in her first ‘Glow in the Dark concert at The Stoller Hall in Manchester, followed by the Harrogate International Festivals (UK). 

— ON STAGE

Known for her dynamic stage presence, mesmerising playing and zesty personality, Ricci has performed for HM The King, at the Royal Opera House, Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, LSO St Luke’s, St George’s Bristol, for the London Symphony Orchestra Discovery and in the West End. She is a current Making Music Artist, a recent City Music Foundation and Stoller Hall Emerging Artist. She was a DEBUT Horizon, Hattori Foundation, and Britten-Pears Young Artist, an alumna of the Encuentro de Santander Academy and Philharmonie der Animato Orchestra with which she toured Europe as principal harpist. Helena Ricci holds a Master of Music degree with Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

She plays a crimson David concert harp, made in the Swiss region of Sainte-Croix, where luxury watches are crafted.

AWARDS.

  • Making Music Recommended Artist (2024-26)

    Verbier Festival Academy: Creative Project Development Residency (2024)

    The Stoller Hall Emerging Artist (2023-24)

    City Music Foundation Artist (2022 onwards)

    The Hattori Foundation Senior Awards (2022-23)

    The UK Harp Association Creative Fund (2022)

    DEBUT Horizon Artist (2022-23)

    The Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust (2022)

    Guildhall Creative Entrepreneurs Certificate (2020)

    Master of Music with Distinction, Guildhall School of Music & Drama (2019)

    HMUK Postgraduate Award (2018 + 2019)

    Guildhall Harp Prize – Special Prize (2019)

    Bachelor of Music with Honours 1st Class, Guildhall School of Music & Drama (2018)

    Barbara Stringer Scholar (2018)

    Henry Wood Trust (2018)

    Chizel Educational Trust (2017)

    Kathleen Trust (2016)

    Irène Dénéréaz Fondation Awards (2014 + 2015)

    Paderewski Award (2014)

    SUISA Foundation Award (2013)

    1 st prize at the Swiss Youth Competition (2013)

  • Arts Council England: Develop Your Creative Practice (2024)

    New Diorama Theatre Broadgate: Research & Development Artistic residency (2022)

    Deutsche Grammophon Roger & Brian Eno’s “Mixing Colours” – winning video for “Cerulean blue” (2020)

    Transport for London Car-free photography competition (2020)

‘the best virtuoso performance I’ve heard’
‘a magical musical experience’
‘not just a recital but a masterclass’
‘I had no idea anyone could play the harp like that’
‘I’ve been coming here every month for six years and have never heard applause like that before’
— Audience feedback, solo concert Woodford Memorial Hall

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