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 Degree cum laude in 1993. She was also coached privately by Vera Badings. She also studied in London with Thelma Owen and followed master classes with Susann McDonald (USA), Tatyana Tauer (Russia) and Edward Witsenburg.

During her studies, Ellen was already appointed solo harpist of the Brabant Orchestra. Later, she held the same position for a time as a substitute with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Principal conductor Riccardo Chailly described her as "a remarkably gifted harp player with outstanding musical sensitivity, intuition and secure technical abilities".

After winning the Erasmus Conservatoire Prize and the Doelen Recital Prize, she won the first Dutch Harp Competition in 1994 and also the 'Silver Lesson' for best performance of compulsory contemporary work.

As a soloist, Ellen Versney has performed with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, the Brabants Orchestra, the North Holland Philharmonic Orchestra, the Amsterdam Promenade Orchestra and the Flemish Radio Orchestra, among others. She is also regularly invited to play solo at the World Harp Congress and the European Harp Symposium. Ellen Versney joined the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra as its solo harpist in 2001.

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