Alexandra Bidi

Newly-appointed Principal Harpist of the Orchestre de Paris, Alexandra Bidi is a tour-de-force performing artist renowned for her “powerful music energy” and “the richness of her sound” (Festival Ravel) as well as her "immense joy of playing" and "technical mastery" (Stuttgarter Zeitung). Her accolades include several first prizes, most notably the 2021 Martine Géliot Competition which led to her debut solo recording Bach to Paris, Léopold Bellan Competition, the Collègium 21 Competition, and the Velenje International Harp Competition. More recently, Ms. Bidi was awarded Second Prize and Best Performance of the commissioned contemporary work by Édith Canat de Chizy at the prestigious ARD International Music Competition. 

Since her solo debuts with the Munich Chamber Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Bidi has appeared as soloist with the SWR Symphony Orchestra, the Badische Philharmonie Pforzheim, the Orchestre de l’Opéra national de Lorraine, the Dutch Orchestra Ciconia Consort, among others. Selected for the Euroradio Top Young Performers programme of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), she has had recordings of her performances broadcast on radio stations in France, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Latvia, Croatia, and the Netherlands.

A passionate chamber musician and orchestral harpist, Ms. Bidi has shared the stage with Magali Mosnier, Guillaume Paoletti, François Salque, Iris Scialom, and Krzysztof Michalski, with whom she recorded an album for the Italian label Da Vinci Classics to be released in 2027. Through collaborations with ensembles such as Les Siècles, the Orchestre de chambre de Paris, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre National de Mulhouse, the Shanghai Opera House Orchestra, and the La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Bidi has performed in world-class venues under conductors Marin Alsop, Simone Young, Kirill Karabits, Michael Schønwandt, and Alain Altinoglu.

Born in New York, Ms. Bidi began piano at the age of six and added the harp at seven with Elena Gorna in Italy. She continued her studies in Spain with Beatriz Millán and Zoraida Avila, and later at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris with Ghislaine Petit-Volta. In 2020, Ms. Bidi joined the classes of Isabelle Moretti and Geneviève Létang at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, where she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with highest honors. She is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Conservatoire while also studying Applied Mathematics at Université Paris Dauphine.

Alexandra Bidi is a laureate of the Fondation Banque Populaire and is supported by the Fondation Safran and Adami.

Cécile Delage

Montréal-based performer, teacher and recording artist, Cécile Delage combines traditional Irish and Breton music with a modern Québecois sensibility. Classically trained at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Toulouse and Université de Montréal where she received her masters degree with Caroline Lizotte, Ms. Delage continues to perform with classical orchestra although her primary artistic focus is on traditional Celtic music including studies with world-renowned Irish harpist Janet Harbison. Her artistry on the lever harp has been recognized, winning third place at the Trophée Camac de Harpe Celtique in 2023 and performing at One Harp World and the 42nd International Festival of Celtic Harps in Brittany. 

As a teacher, Ms. Delage has an extensive background at various classical and Irish music schools (Sérénité Sonore, the LUMI School of the Université de Montréal, and the Siamsa Montréal School of Irish Music) before founding her own school, Aziliz, where she offers private lessons combining classical, Celtic, and modern music. Most notably, her student ensemble, Borealys, participated in the 2023 Harpes au Max festival in France. She also co-founded the Société des Harpistes de Montréal with which she organizes an annual Harp Day to educate the general public about the instrument.

Ms. Delage can be heard on several recordings with the group Orange Mist, singer Ambre Ciel, and the Balfolk trio Malvenn. Her debut solo album Éclats (referring to the sparkling sound of the harp and the varied arrangements of the musical tracks) features her duo Mont Roz (with flutist François-Xavier Dueymes) and was featured on the Harp Column website (June 23, 2025). The recording is available via streaming services such as Bandcamp as well as on her website (https://www.ceciledelage.com/boutique).

Alisa Sadikova

Praised for her “unbelievably beautiful musicianship” (Classical FM) and lauded as a “genius” (BBC Classical Music magazine), Alisa Sadikova may be best known as the child virtuoso performing La Source on YouTube, but has grown into a performing artist of the highest calibre and sensitivity. Since making her debut at Carnegie Hall as grand prize winner of the 2010 International Youth Competition, Ms. Sadikova has performed as a soloist in over 25 countries at venues including the Vienna State Opera, Munich’s Philharmonie am Gasteig, and the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center and was a featured artist at the 2017 World Harp Congress as well as the 2014 World Harp Congress where she performed the world premiere of Bernard Andres’ Le Barde Muet, Concerto for Harp and Orchestra. She has won more than 20 First Prizes at international competitions such as the Young Talents of Russia, Scandinavian International Instrumental Music Competition, Clara Schumann International Competition, and was the youngest semi-finalist to compete in the history of the Israel International Harp Competition. 

Beyond classical music, Ms. Sadikova toured with Sarah Brightman for the Royal Christmas Gala and has released five acclaimed albums including her 2023 solo release Harp Constellation. Her belief in music as a unifying force is seen in her collaboration with young artists worldwide in a global tribute to Michael Jackson’s Heal the World.

Currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School with Nancy Allen as a recipient of the prestigious Kovner Fellowship, Ms. Sadikova received her Bachelor of Music degree at Juilliard and a Salvi Foundation Scholarship to study with Catherine Michel at the Cambridge Musica Mundi High School in Belgium. Her harp studies began with Karina Maleeva at the Secondary Special Music School of the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory. 

Ms. Sadikova is an official artist and ambassador for Lyon & Healy and the Salvi Foundation.

François-Xavier Dueymes

Montréal-based Breton musician, François-Xavier Dueymes took his first steps in music with the bombarde (traditional double-reed wind instrument) in the world of “Bagadoù” (Breton pipe band) competitions. After discovering the wooden flute and Irish music, he has immersed himself in Celtic traditional playing while continuing his explorations in modal Eastern European and electronic music. Active in the Québec traditional music scene, Mr. Dueymes regularly plays for European dance events and performs on stage with the trio Kavaz, the duo Mont Roz and the group Saligaude. Most recently, he and harpist Cécile Delage have been collaborating with Québécois electronic music collectives such as Fox High Sound System and Abitek Sound System to perform live on their music sets.

Dr. Kristina Finch

Co-owner of the Harp District - Virginia and Atlanta Harp Centers, Dr. Kristina Finch is a versatile performer, educator, and advocate for the modern harp. She serves as Professor of Harp at the University of Southern Mississippi and directs the Mississippi Harp Academy, where her teaching emphasizes accessibility, confidence, and musical growth. Not only is Dr. Finch the Principal Harpist with both the Miami City Ballet and the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, she is also Second Harpist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and an active chamber musician whose collaborations span classical, contemporary, and popular styles. A certified Harp Mastery coach, Dr. Finch helps harpists of all levels build confidence, clarity, and joy in their playing. She is also the creator and host of the One Pedal Off Digital Harp Conference and the former host of the Harp Column Podcast. With degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Florida State University, she brings a broad creative perspective shaped by performance, teaching, entrepreneurship, visual art, and yoga to all her artistic and business endeavors.

Robbin Gordon-Cartier

Highly esteemed educator and performer, Robbin Gordon-Cartier currently directs the harp program at the Cicely L. Tyson Community School for the Performing Arts (East Orange, New Jersey) while maintaining a private studio for students of all ages and presenting workshops across the country. Her dedication to education has been recognized with several grants and awards such as the NAACP Educator Award, the National Action Network Fannie Lou Hamer Award, and a National Artist Teacher Fellowship from the Center for Arts in Education at Boston Arts Academy. Her positive influence within the harp community as well as her substantial impact promoting the harp on the national and international stage was most recently acknowledged with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Somerset Folk Harp Festival.

A strong proponent for the advancement of the harp and student harpists, Mrs. Gordon-Cartier has served on the American Harp Society as 2nd Vice President and Director-at-Large on the national level and was President of the North Jersey Chapter for eight years. Her palpable enthusiasm and generous sharing of her vast harp knowledge and experience can be witnessed monthly when she co-hosts the Atlanta Harp Center’s live-stream series, Hangin’ with the Harp.

Liza Jensen

New York-based harp technician Liza Jensen travels the world regulating both lever and pedal harps using her musical background to better understand her clients’ individual needs. A dedicated problem solver, she draws her knowledge not only from years of personal experience, but also from her early studies of harp mechanics with mentor and friend, the late Patrick Dougal. She wishes to continue his inspiration and ideals by educating harpists and empowering their inner technician. Currently, Liza is the Principal International Technician for Camac Harps of France.

In addition to teaching Harp Tech 101, Liza will be regulating harps throughout the weekend. If your harp is in need of a regulation, please contact her directly to schedule your appointment:

E-mail: lizacjensen@gmail.com | Phone: 917-696-5974

Jacqueline Pollauf

Harpist Jacqueline Pollauf is known for her exquisite musicianship in performance, dedication to teaching, and beautifully crafted compositions. Performance highlights include Ms. Pollauf’s premiere of a new work for voice and harp at Carnegie Hall, a solo recital at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D. C., and a performance at the World Harp Congress in Vancouver, Canada. Her recording, Beau Soir, with cellist Dariusz Skoraczewski, was lauded as “utter perfection” (The Harp Column).

Ms. Pollauf’s recent publication Choral Repertoire: Harp Parts was hailed by The Harp Column as a “must-have addition to your library.” She is also known for her series of exercise books on harp techniques as well as solo and chamber pieces from student through professional levels. Ms. Pollauf is on the faculties of the Baltimore School for the Arts and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and is the director of the Baltimore Harp Camp.

She has given presentations and workshops for the Atlanta Harp Festival, Hangin’ with the Harp, and the Puerto Rico Harp Chapter. Additionally, Ms. Pollauf maintains a highly regarded YouTube channel and an informational harp website, harpinsideout.com. She holds degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and resides in Baltimore, Maryland.

Kristan Toczko

Kristan Toczko (@HarpistKT) is a virtuoso Canadian harpist and one of the most widely seen and heard classical musicians in the world. She has become a viral social media musician gaining over 5 million followers across social media, with her performances reaching hundreds of millions worldwide. Her debut album, Rock Echoes (2024), received widespread acclaim, remaining on the Billboard Classical Crossover charts for two consecutive weeks. She holds degrees from McGill and Yale Universities and has won major competitions in Canada and abroad, performing in acclaimed venues including Carnegie Hall. Ms. Toczko appeared as a soloist at multiple music festivals and has worked with world-renowned orchestras. She is also a Signature Artist at Musicnotes, where she publishes her harp arrangements. Ms. Toczko plays a Lyon & Healy 85CG pedal harp and a Salvi Delta C electric lever harp and is currently a resident of St. John’s, Newfoundland.