Hannah Harnest (“excellent,” Concerto.net) has played both as a concerto soloist in Europe, under Marzio Conti and Daniel Grossmann, and as a chamber musician and vocal accompanist, appearing at the “Gasteig” Philharmonic Hall (Munich), Wigmore Hall (London), Center for Jewish History and National Sawdust (New York), Harris Concert Hall (Aspen), and the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson). An invited resident at international festivals including Songfest Los Angeles (2019), Aspen Music Festival (2018), Aldeburgh Festival of Music and the Arts (2016), and Encuentro de Música y Academia de Santander (2015), Hannah Harnest was a semi-finalist at “Das Lied” (Heidelberg) and the Wigmore Hall Song Competition (London). Her interest in contemporary music and commissioning new works is fueled by her collaborations with Libby Larsen, Lera Auerbach, Andy Akiho, Benoît Menut, and Nico Sauer, in addition to her work as a fellow at Bard College under the guidance of soprano Dawn Upshaw and pianist Kayo Iwama. Last season, Hannah Harnest curated and performed at the “Strange Scenes Festival” (music of Wolfgang Rihm) at New York’s DiMenna Center. Upcoming projects include a 2020 virtual concert and interview series on the intersection of art and social issues (German Consulate, New York) and a recording of Karl Weig’s music for soprano and piano.
Hannah Harnest’s artistry has been lastingly shaped by Marilyn Nonken, Olivier Gardon, Michael Dussek, Malcolm Martineau, Gordon Fergus-Thompson, Yonty Solomon, and Gerhard Oppitz. Educated at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris and the Royal College and Royal Academy of Music in London, she also trained as a journalist at Columbia University and has written for The Jewish Weekly (London) and The Times of Israel (Jerusalem/New York). In Fall 2019, she came to NYU Steinhardt to pursue an Advanced Certificate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, where she became a member of the Adjunct Faculty in Piano and Vocal Studies and joined the Contemporary Music Ensemble.