Ellen Versney

Ellen Versney is a harpist with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. She studied with Teresia Rieu at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Here she obtained her Masters Diploma cum laude in 1993. In addition, she has been coached privately by Vera Badings. She has also studied in London with Thelma Owen and taken master classes with Susann McDonald (USA), Tatyana Tauer (Russia) and Edward Witsenburg.

Already during her studies, Ellen was appointed solo harpist of The Brabant Orchestra. She later held the same position for a time as a remplaçante with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Chief conductor Riccardo Chailly described her as "a remarkably gifted harp player with outstanding musical sensitivity, intuition and secure technical abilities."

After winning the Erasmus Conservatory Prize and the Doelen Recital Prize, she won the first Dutch Harp Competition in 1994 and also the "Silver Lectern" for best interpretation of the obligatory contemporary work.

As a soloist, Ellen Versney has performed with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Het Brabants Orkest, the Noord-Hollands Philharmonic Orchestra, the Amsterdam Promenade Orchestra and the Flemish Radio Orchestra, among others. She has also been regularly invited to play solo at the World Harp Congress and the European Harp Symposium. Ellen Versney joined the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra as solo harpist in 2001.

Ellen Versney plays in several chamber music ensembles, including flute-harp duo Manrique. She also enjoys venturing into the field of 20th-century and contemporary music as a member of the DoelenEnsemble Rotterdam. With this ensemble she also performs regularly as a soloist.

Ellen recorded several CDs with duo Manrique, the Rubio String Quartet and a live CD of Badings' Harp Concerto with Het Brabants Orkest.