The harmony that she produces touches everyone directly..., the music is hers like if she is talking. She doesn’t stress, as in the most virtuoso transitions as in the most delicate traits, she takes the time to make every note speak...
Still aged only 23, Belgian harpist Anneleen Lenaerts is making a name for herself as a young soloist of great talent. From an early age she started winning an impressive amount of prizes at international harp competitions. Her extraordinary talent made her perform all over Europe to great acclaim. Anneleen's harp playing is known for the colorful and warm sound, perfect timing and deep musical expression.
In December 2010 Anneleen was appointed Solo Harpist at the Vienna Philharmonic.
Anneleen started playing the harp at the age of 9 with Lieve Robbroeckx and worked with her continuously for nine years. Anneleen has participated in master classes with distinguished harpists such as Susann McDonald, Suzanna Mildonian, Isabelle Moretti, Marielle Nordmann, Isabelle Perrin, Erika Waardenburg and David Watkins. After studying with Isabelle Perrin in Paris and Jana Bouskova at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, she obtained in 2008 the Master Degree for harp with the highest distinction. To complete she added the 'Cours de perfectionnement' at the 'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris'. Anneleen also studied Harmony at the Brussels Conservatory with Ann Kuppens and Counter point with Kristin De Smedt, with whom she currently works on Fugue. During 2008-2009 she was assistant harp at the Brussels Conservatory.
From the very beginning Anneleen showed great musical talent and started winning an impressive amount of prizes in international harp competitions at a very young age: ‘Concours International de Harpe Felix Godefroid’ (Belgium 1997, 2000, 2003), ‘Concours International de Harpe et Orchestre’ (Belgium 2002), ‘International Harp Competition Gödöllö’ (Hungary 2003), ‘Josef Reinl Wettbewerb’ (Vienna 2004), ‘USA International Harp Competition’ (Bloomington, USA 2004), ‘Concurso Internacional de Arpa Arpista Ludovico’ (Spain 2005) and in 2005 the prestigious ‘Grand Prix International Lily Laskine‘ in France, where she also obtained the prizes for the best interpretation of Bach's Chaconne and for the compulsory work of Karol Beffa. In 2009 she was a prizewinner of the 'Internationaler Wettbewerb der ARD München' where she also won the Public Prize.
Anneleen has been awarded several times for her remarkable results. In 2004 the Flemish government honoured her with the YoTaM Prize (Young Talented Musicians). In 2006 she was awarded 'le Prix Culturel International de la Jeunesse' by the governor of Basse and Haute Normandy ant the Cultural Commission of Lions Club Deauville. In 2007 she was awarded the Prize of the Artistic Foundation Mathilde E. Horlait-Dapsens. In 2008 she received the Prize Lunssens and the Prize Van Straelen. In 2010 she was a laureate of the ‘Fondation Groupe Populaire’ in Paris.
At an early age Anneleen was invited to play on the European Harp Symposiums of Amsterdam, Lyon and Cardiff, the World Harp Congresses of Geneva, Dublin and Amsterdam and many harp festivals abroad.
She has given solo recitals in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Spain, Turkey, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Portugal where she was praised for her simplicity, musicality and virtuosity.
Anneleen was a soloist with several famous orchestras in Belgium and abroad such as: Het Limburgs Symfonieorkest, deFilharmonie, L’orchestre de Chambre du Namurois, Arpista Ludovico Chamber Group, L’ensemble de Basse Normandie, Het Vlaams Radio Orkest, Orchestra Akademic Baskent, Brussels Chamber Orchestra, Südböhmische Kammerphilharmonie, Mozarteum Orchester, Tallinn Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks.
Anneleen made her debut in prestigious halls such as: The Royal Palace of Gödöllö (Hungary 2004), Salle Gaveau (Paris, 2006), Wigmore Hall (London, 2007, 2008), Grosses Festspielhaus (Salzburg, 2007), Rudolfinum (Prague, 2007), Centre for Fine Arts (Brussels, 2007), Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ (Amsterdam, 2008), Millennium Centre (Cardiff, 2007).
She gave live interviews and concerts for radios in Belgium and abroad, such as Radio Klara, Radio 1, Radio 2 and BBC 3’s In Tune, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Radio France Musique, Deutschlandfunk,..
Other appearances include performances of chamber music with Christel Rayneau at the ‘Ministère de la Marine’ in Paris, with Giuseppe Nova at the ‘Giovani Virtuosi Dell’Arpa Series’ in Alba (Italy), with the Amedeo Modigliani Quartet, Clement Dufour and Florent Pujuila in 'Salle Gaveau' in Paris, with the Allegri String Quartet in the Wigmore Hall in London and with the Ebène Quartet in the ‘Prinzregententheater’ in Munich. She was invited many times at the Klara Festival and the 'Festival van Vlaanderen' in a performance for chamber music and solo works.
Her duo work with oboist Karel Schoofs, soloist in the Rotterdam’s Philharmonic Orchestra, has resulted in a CD of works by French impressionistic composers. Her first solo CD for Egan records was released in 2008. In April 2011 her new solo CD will be released by Aliud Records, with works from Chopin and Liszt, a unique addition to the harp repertoire.
Anneleen performed the world première of ‘Suite Imaginée' from Benoit Wery at the 2006 Harp Festival in Lyon (France). February 2007 she performed together with the Prosperus String Quartet in the Royal Conservatory of Brussels the world première of 'Visions', a work for harp and strings from Wouter Lenaerts.