Harp Studio

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Lamont offers an exceptional environment for harpists, combining individualized instruction with world-class resources and performance opportunities. Our studio is vibrant and collaborative, where harpists challenge and support one another in pursuit of artistic excellence. Guided by Prof. Courtney Hershey Bress, students engage in intensive private lessons, chamber music, performance class, large ensembles, and masterclasses with renowned guest artists. In Lamont’s harp studio, students celebrate each other’s successes and push one another to reach new artistic heights.

Audition Requirements

Harp auditions

Studying Harp at Lamont

Lamont’s harp studio offers a warm, supportive, and deeply personalized environment where students grow into confident, expressive musicians. Under the guidance of Prof. Courtney Hershey Bress, lessons focus on bringing out each student’s unique strengths through positive reinforcement, technical mastery, and joyful musical expression across orchestral, chamber, and contemporary styles. Students develop a rich understanding of the instrument with tools that nurture both technique and artistry, while cultivating the ability to learn independently.

At Lamont, harpists thrive in a close-knit, collaborative community with weekly studio classes, masterclasses, and ample performance opportunities that build confidence and the skills to give thoughtful feedback. Participating in orchestras, wind ensembles, harp ensembles, and diverse chamber groups, students develop versatility and a deep musical connection with their peers. Rooted in a blend of classical liberal arts and practical career training, Lamont prepares harpists to embrace a broad range of musical paths—from professional performance to teaching and freelancing—equipping them with the tools to confidently pursue their passions and build a vibrant career.

Outside the studio, opportunities abound. Lamont’s size allows for personalized attention and meaningful connections, while the city of Denver offers a vibrant music scene with regional orchestras, gigs, and teaching opportunities. Our students are active performers in the community and often get paid work before they even graduate.

If you’re looking for a place to grow as a musician, artist, and individual, the Lamont harp studio offers a vibrant and supportive home.

2-3 harp students at Lamont

Over 5 ensembles to participate in each quarter

300+ performance opportunities per year

Faculty

Prof. Courtney Hershey Bress is Principal Harp of the Colorado Symphony. She has performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Currently, she is Principal for the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and has served as Principal Harpist with the United States Army Field Band, the Baltimore Symphony. She has played with the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Strings Music Festival, and the Colorado College Summer Music Festival. In May of 2023, Prof. Bress performed the world premiere of a harp concerto by Michael Daugherty, a piece she commissioned with the Colorado Symphony.

Courtney Hershey Bress

Adjunct Faculty, Harp

Learn More

Degree Programs

Auditions

Applicants may choose to either audition in person in Denver OR submit a recorded video audition.

Applications received after January 15 will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. You may indicate your preference for a live or virtual audition on the Lamont application.

Click here to view the current year’s audition dates and the full steps for how to apply.

In-Person Audition Requirements
All auditions are approximately 15 minutes in length. The applicant will choose one of their prepared works to perform. The faculty will choose the second of the prepared works and possibly an additional work as well.

Undergraduate (BM and BA)
- Two standard works of contrasting style demonstrating highest technical and artistic abilities (Grandjany's Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Glinka's Nocturne, Natra's Sonatina, etc.). Memorization required.
- Orchestral excepts:
  - Tchaikovsky, Waltz of the Flowers (cadenza)
  - One of the following:
    - Franck, Symphony in D Minor (complete)
    - Verdi, La Forza del Destino (overture)
Undergraduate (Minor)
- Two contrasting pieces
- One orchestral cadenza or excerpt of your choice
Graduate (MM)
- Three works of contrasting style demonstrating highest technical and artistic abilities (a Bach transcription, unaccompanied movement of a standard concerto, Houdy's Sonata, Salzedo's Scintilation, Grandjany's Rhapsodie, etc.). Memorization required.
- Orchestral excerpts:
  - Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique (complete)
  - One of the following:
    - Ravel, Tzigane (cadenza)
    - Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor (harp solo)
    - Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake (cadenza)
Graduate (Certificate in Performance)
- Two contrasting pieces or movements, memorized
- Two orchestral cadenzas or excerpts of your choice
Review Requirements for Artist Diploma
Review Requirements for Certificate in Orchestral Studies
Video Audition Requirements
Applicants unable to travel to Denver for a live audition may submit a video audition via the Lamont application. Repertoire may be recorded separately in multiple takes; editing within each take is prohibited.

Undergraduate (BM and BA)
- Two standard works of contrasting style demonstrating highest technical and artistic abilities (Grandjany's Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Glinka's Nocturne, Natra's Sonatina, etc.). Memorization required.
- Orchestral excepts:
  - Tchaikovsky, Waltz of the Flowers (cadenza)
  - One of the following:
    - Franck, Symphony in D Minor (complete)
    - Verdi, La Forza del Destino (overture)
Undergraduate (Minor)
- Two contrasting pieces
- One orchestral cadenza or excerpt of your choice
Graduate (MM)
- Three works of contrasting style demonstrating highest technical and artistic abilities (a Bach transcription, unaccompanied movement of a standard concerto, Houdy's Sonata, Salzedo's Scintilation, Grandjany's Rhapsodie, etc.). Memorization required.
- Orchestral excerpts:
  - Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique (complete)
  - One of the following:
    - Ravel, Tzigane (cadenza)
    - Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor (harp solo)
    - Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake (cadenza)
Graduate (Certificate in Performance)
- Two contrasting pieces or movements, memorized
- Two orchestral cadenzas or excerpts of your choice
Review Requirements for Artist Diploma
Review Requirements for Certificate in Orchestral Studies

Life After Lamont

Notable Harp Alumni

Lamont students have worked with some of the most prestigious music organizations in the world. Alumni have performed with the Metropolitan Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra, Wolf Trap, Vancouver Symphony, Broadway, the West End, and San Francisco Opera. Lamont composers have premiered works at Carnegie Hall and the Monterey Jazz Festival, and conductors have led orchestras from Brazil to Hungary. Graduates of our Musicology and music theory programs hold posts at prestigious institutions nationwide. And our recording and production students have launched careers in Hollywood, editing soundtracks for films like Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.