HIMA USA - Harpa International Music Academy USA

09/01/2025

Huge congratulations to the wonderful Poiesis Quartet, on winning first prize at the 2025 Banff International String Quartet Competition!!! The Poieses Quartet performed earlier this month at Lakeside Chautauqua after they spent five days working intensely with our artistic director Sibbi Bernhardsson in preparation for the Banff competition as the first participants in our new Saga String Quartet program. Big congratulations also to the Cong Quartet who had a great run in this year's Banff competition and were HIMA USA's 2022 String Quartet Fellows! We couldn't be more proud of these two excellent quartets!

Comprising violinists Sarah Ying Ma and Max Ball, violist Jasper de Boor and cellist Drew Dansby, The Poiesis Quartet will received over $500,000 CAD in prize money and opportunities.

08/11/2025

Looking forward to returning to beautiful Lakeside Chautauqua's Hoover Auditorium on Wednesday August 14 at 7:30 pm to present the Poieses Quartet, one of today's most promising young string quartets. The 2023 Grand Prize winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and winner of the 2024 Concert Artists Guild Competition, the Poieses Quartet is spending this week in coaching sessions with HIMA USA Artistic Director Sibbi Bernhardsson. Their program will feature Beethoven and Brahms along with newer works by Brian Raphael Nabors, Joe Hisaishi and Kevin Lau.

Inspired by its sister festival in Iceland, the Harpa International Music Academy (HIMA) USA is an intergenerational summer music academy dedicated to the study and performance of solo and chamber…

08/15/2024

Such a pleasure to return to Hoover Auditorium at scenic Lakeside Chautauqua for a performance of beloved piano trios by Brahms and Shostakovich this evening!

08/15/2024

So much fun to return to Lakeside Chautauqua for this concert at Hoover Auditorium!

Inspired by its Icelandic sister festival, HIMA USA - Harpa International Music Academy USA is an intergenerational summer music academy that focuses on studying and performing string solo and chamber music.

HIMA USA will perform a concert for Lakesiders at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14 in Hoover Auditorium. This concert features an all-star lineup, including Grammy-winning violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson, Cleveland Orchestra principal cellist Mark Kosower, and award-winning pianist Scott Cuellar. https://ow.ly/Cjz050SXyTj

08/10/2024

This coming Wednesday, Lakeside Chautauqua presents HIMA USA artists at Hoover Auditorium on Wednesday, August 14 at 7:30 pm in beautiful Lakeside, Ohio! The concert features a world-class line-up of artists: HIMA artistic director and violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson, principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra Mark Kosower, and award-winning pianist Scott Cuellar. They will perform two of the great piano trios: Brahms B-major piano trio and the second piano trio of Shostakovich. If you’re in the area, please join us!

Inspired by its Icelandic sister festival, Harpa International Music Academy (HIMA), HIMA USA is an intergenerational summer music academy that focuses on the study and performance of string solo and…

07/12/2024

Save the date! We are delighted to co-present a chamber music concert at Lakeside Chautauqua's Hoover Auditorium on Wednesday, August 14 at 7:30 pm in beautiful Lakeside, Ohio featuring a world-class line-up of artists: HIMA artistic director and violinist Sibbi Bernhardsson, principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra Mark Kosower, and award-winning pianist Scott Cuellar. They will perform two of the great piano trios: Brahms B-major piano trio and the second piano trio of Shostakovich. Don't miss this!

Inspired by its Icelandic sister festival, Harpa International Music Academy (HIMA), HIMA USA is an intergenerational summer music academy that focuses on the study and performance of string solo and…

07/12/2024

Congratulations to the The Terra String Quartet, HIMA USA string quartet fellows in 2022, on being named fellowship quartet-in-residence at Yale School of Music!

The foursome, who won the 2022 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, succeed the Callisto Quartet in the position

06/07/2024

HIMA USA is grateful to be an awardee of an Ohio Arts Council ArtSTART grant, awarded in support of our 2023 summer festival. We couldn't be more honored or appreciative of the Ohio Arts Council and the state of Ohio for this recognition and their support of the arts!

06/05/2024

Past HIMA USA participants, while we will not hold a festival this summer, we hope you will stay in touch and share updates with us on what you've been up to! You may email your updates to [email protected].