Stephen Fitzpatrick announced as Head of Harp at the Academy
Stephen Fitzpatrick
© Christian Schneider
News Story
The Academy announces Stephen Fitzpatrick as Head of Harp, taking up the position in the 2026/27 academic year.
Stephen is currently Professor of Harp at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Visiting Professor of Harp at the Royal College of Music and a teacher of Orchestral Studies at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler. Previously, he has taught as Professor of Harp at the Barenboim-Said Academy.
Stephen is a seasoned orchestral performer, having held positions at Gothenburg Opera Orchestra (Co-Principal Harpist), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Guest Principal Harpist), English Symphony Orchestra (Principal Harpist), Bayreuther Festpiele and NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra (Guest Principal Harpist). In 2000, he was chosen by Daniel Barenboim to be Principal Harpist of the Staatskapelle Berlin, where he still plays.
He also a founding member of the Boulez Ensemble and performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. He has appeared as an orchestral player with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Filarmonica della Scala.
He has served on the juries of many music competitions, including the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb, the International Harp Competition in Szeged and the ARD Music Competition.
'I am thrilled and honoured to be joining the Royal Academy of Music as Head of Harp and building on the exceptional work of Catrin Finch and her predecessors. After three decades working in Europe, it is particularly exciting for me to be returning to the UK in this role. I look forward to working with colleagues and students as we continue to develop one of the world’s leading harp departments.'
‘I am delighted that Stephen Fitzpatrick will be leading the Academy’s Harp Department from September. Stephen brings a wealth of experience as a distinguished performer and teacher in Europe, and I look forward to working closely with him as he builds on the outstanding achievements of Catrin Finch and the entire department.’
Catrin Finch steps down as Head of Harp at the end of this academic year. She will remain an integral part of the department as Osian Ellis Visiting Professor of Harp.
