Emmanuel Ceysson

Emmanuel Ceysson displays a vast knowledge of virtuosic music for harp, winning prizes and performing throughout Europe and the U.S. He has held several major U.S. orchestral posts, including principal harpist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Ceysson is also an educator. His recording catalog includes several solo releases, such as Images: Hommage à Marcel Tournier (2025). Ceysson was born on April 17, 1984, in Oullins, France, near Lyon. He began his conservatory studies at the Conservatoire de Lyon (CNSMDL) and then moved on to the Conservatoire de Paris (CNSMDP), studying with Isabelle Moretti. He earned a harp degree and also took a first prize in harmony. Ceysson won prizes at three top international competitions: the U.S.A. International Harp Competition in 2004, the New York Young Concert Artist Auditions in 2006, and the ARD Competition in Germany in 2009. At age 22, he became principal harpist of the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Paris. In 2006, he made his recording debut with Xavier de Maistre on the Claves label with the album Concertos for 1 and 2 harps by Reinecke, Zabel & Parish-Alvars. Beginning in 2009, Ceysson served as principal harpist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York for five seasons. He moved from opera to orchestral music after winning a blind audition and becoming principal harpist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2020. Ceysson's recital career has taken him to such major venues as Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, the Salle Gaveau in Paris, and the Hyogo Concert Hall in Japan. He has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Oslo Philharmonic, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, and the RAI Orchestra Torino in Italy, among other groups, and he has been visible at important festivals internationally, including the Edinburgh International Festival, the Cartagena Music Festival in Spain, the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival in Germany, and Classical Tahoe in California. Ceysson has a substantial recording career that includes several solo releases, such as Opéra Fantaisie on the Naïve label (2012), Ballad in Red on Aparte (2018), and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Transcriptions on Coviello Classics (2024). In 2025, he released Images: Hommage à Marcel Tournier on Alpha. Ceysson has accomplished all these things while maintaining a teaching career, first at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 2005 to 2009, and, since 2016, at Mannes College of Music in New York. ~ James Manheim, Rovi