“A very solid musician with a beautiful tone and impressively refined playing…A noble
stage presence” (Bart van Oort).
Harpist Ruth Bennett is highly regarded as a versatile and engaging artist and has
performed throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe and Japan.
Maintaining an active schedule between the U.S. and Latin America, Ms.Bennett has
appeared frequently as soloist, orchestra member and educator throughout Mexico
and Peru. She has performed with American Ballet Theater and The Metropolitan Opera
and as guest principal harpist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (U.K.) as
well as playing in several on and off Broadway shows.
Ms.Bennett was the Principal Harpist of the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra in Merida,
Mexico for 15 years and most recently held the position of Assistant Harp Professor at
Boston Conservatory at Berklee. An active freelancer, she frequently performs with the
New Jersey Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic and
Talea Ensemble.
She has accompanied numerous pop and classical artists including Placido Domingo,
Renée Fleming and Icelandic singer Bjork with whom she toured Mexico City, Europe
and England in 2019 as part of her Cornucopia Ensemble.
A consistent prize winner in the competition circuit, Ms. Bennett won Third Prize at the
2nd Dutch International Harp Contest where she performed Joaquin Rodrigo’s
Concierto de Aranjuez in the final stage with the Nieuwe Philharmonie Utrecht
conducted by Johannes Leertouwer.
She also received First Prize in the 2009 National Harp Competition in Mexico City and
awards at the American Harp Society National Contest.
Born in England to a musical family, Ms.Bennett began her studies at the piano but was
eventually persuaded to learn the harp with her grandmother, a former student of
Carlos Salzedo. She received her Orchestral Studies Certificate from Manhattan School
of Music studying with Deborah Hoffman (Metropolitan Opera), a M.M in performance
from Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelors from Crane School of Music at S.U.N.Y
Potsdam.