Hannah Cope Johnson

Guest Artist

Hannah Cope Johnson is Principal Harp of the Metropolitan Opera. She was previously Principal Harp of the Sarasota Orchestra. She has appeared with major ensembles on the East coast including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra among others. Recent career highlights include a debut solo recital for the American Harp Society in New York City and guest artist features with Lyric Chamber Music Society of New York, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, and Boston Chamber Music Society.

Hannah spent many years in the harp competition circuit and took home first prizes at the American Harp Society National Competition, the Lyon and Healy Awards, and the Grandjany Memorial Competition. She finished her competition career with 2me Prix at the 2022 Concours International de Harpe Félix Godefroid in Belgium. She has since shifted her focus to expanding the harp repertoire, particularly through arranging new chamber music for harp ensemble and for harp with mixed instruments. She also enjoys working with the next generation of harpists; she has led masterclasses for the Curtis Institute of Music, Brigham Young University, and the American Harp Society.

Hannah grew up in Salt Lake City, UT where she studied harp with Kimberly Dunford and ShruDeLi Ownbey. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, UT with Dr. Nicole Brady, and obtained a Master of Music degree and a Graduate Diploma from New England Conservatory of Music, under the tutelage of Jessica Zhou of Boston Symphony Orchestra. Hannah also enjoyed a summer as a Tanglewood Music Center fellow during her years in Boston.

Above all, Hannah enjoys spending time with her husband Ben and their two beloved cats, Hobbes and Zeus. When she’s not on her harp bench, she loves learning to golf, trying new recipes, and playing Mario Kart.