Caroline Lizotte

Caroline Lizotte is internationally reknown as a brilliant French-Canadian harpist and composer. Her works for harp are celebrated and performed around the world, in festivals and international competitions for harp, and they are listed among the most influential works of the harp repertoire in late 20th and 21st century.

Her most recent work “Stellar Sonata” opus 51 for electroacoustic harp, has been supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and premiered in Paris in 2019. In May 2021, she was among the guest artists for the Dutch Harp Festival as well as being on the jury panel for the World Harp Competition in the Netherlands. In 2022 she will perform for the Ontario Harp Society in Toronto and at the World Harp Congress in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.

Having led a solid career as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician for more than thirty years, notably as second harp at the OSM for 23 years, Caroline Lizotte now devotes herself to sharing her art through her creations, editions, concerts, mentoring and by the complete recording of her works. Her first CD album Lizotte Plays Lizotte – a compilation of her most extensive original works for harp composed from 1990 to today, is launched in February 2022.

An Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Center, Caroline Lizotte began composing at a young age and has a large catalog of works, original transcriptions and arrangements for various formations. Many of her works are from commissions. Her music has been performed in Canada, United States, France, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Mexico, Colombia, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan.

In 1999, Caroline founded les éditions Calyane, a musical publishing micro-enterprise, through which she produces and distributes her works with a personalized touch. There are also points of sale at the most important international harp makers, namely Camac Harps, Salvi Harps and Lyon & Healy Harps.

Among her works :

“El Niño Mudo Prologue-La Barraca-Epilogue” opus 50 for voice, flute, viola and harp celtic, commissioned by Jasmine Hogan and the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore

“Stellae Saltantem” opus 49 for electric harp and acoustic harp (2014), commissioned by the Atlantic Harp Duo/Marta Power Luce and Elizabeth Jaxon

“Close for Couloir” opus 48 for harp and cello (2013), commissioned by the Duo Couloir/Heidi Krutzen and Ariel Barnes (supported by the Canada Council for the Arts)

“La Madone” opus 43 for solo harp (2009), commissioned by Valérie Milot, is among the required repertoire for the American Harp Society’s Anne Adams Award in 2020

“Raga” opus 41 for two harps (2006), commissioned by Radio-Canada for harpists Judy Loman and Jennifer Swartz

“Concerto Techno” opus 40 for harp, live techno and orchestra (2003), commissioned by the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières

“Suite Galactique” opus 39 for solo harp (2000) was a required piece for the American Harp Society’s Anne Adams Award in 2016

“Odyssée” opus 37 for solo harp (1990) won the fourth place worldwide in the USA International Harp Competition’s Composition Contest in 2010

Mentor and teacher for many harpists in carrer, Mrs. Lizotte is regularly invited to give master classes and perform concerts of her works in Canada and abroad, such as the Glenn Gould School Toronto, Eastman School of Music Rochester, Royal Northern Academy London, University of Arizona, Norvegian Music Academy Oslo, University of Ottawa, Roosevelt University Chicago and the Boston Conservatory of Music.

In Quebec province, she has taught at the Montreal and Trois-Rivières Conservatories of Music, Cégep St-Laurent and Schulich School McGill University. She was on the Faculties for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and the Orford Music Academy. Since 2010, she is the professor of harp of the Université de Montréal’s Music Faculty.

Caroline Lizotte is also co-founding member of the Four Seasons Harp Quartet with harpists Jennifer Swartz, Lori Gemmell and Caroline Léonardelli, with whom she performs in the major chamber music festivals in Canada since its formation in 2004.
Born in Québec City, she graduated from the Conservatoire de Musique de Québec in 1992 and studied at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester NY.