Caroline Lizotte
harpist and composer
A brilliant Quebec harpist and composer, Caroline Lizotte is named Composer of the Year at the 26th Gala Prix Opus and stands out internationally as one of the leading harp composers of her generation. Her works, often awarded prizes and imposed in competitions, are played and recorded by harpists around the world and are listed among the most influential of the late 20th and 21st centuries for the instrument.
Caroline Lizotte will be the central composer at the One Harp World in Toronto from July 28 to August 3, 2026. This joint event between the 15th World Harp Congress and the American Harp Society will award her the Ann Stockton Memorial Award for New Music for her important contribution to the harp repertoire.
Featured artist with cellist Étienne Ratthé for the 44th edition of the Edinburgh International Harp Festival in April 2025, Caroline Lizotte is a regular guest soloist and chamber musician at major harp events: World Harp Congress, Dutch Harp Festival, World Harp Competition, American Harp Society, Ontario Harp Society, Harpenning, Société des Harpistes de Montréal and Women in Music Festival.
Caroline is dedicated to sharing her art through her creations, editions, concerts, mentoring and the recording of her entire works. She founded with her husband Étienne Ratthé RougébLeuë Productions and produced in 2022 her first album Lizotte Plays/Joue Lizotte, which collects several of her best known works written for harp from 1990 to today. This recording, nominated at l’ADISQ 2023 in the category Album of the Year – Classical, received critical acclaim and ten stars from Harp Column Magazine.
An associate composer of the Canadian Music Centre, Caroline Lizotte began composing at an early age and has an extensive catalogue of works, original transcriptions and arrangements for various ensembles. A frequent recipient of grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, she receives several commission works from harpists, notably Judy Loman, Jennifer Swartz, Valérie Milot, Heidi Krutzen, Marta Power, Elizabeth Jaxon, Jasmine Hogan, Lori Gemmell, Heather Cornelius and Noël Wan, as well as from organisms such as the Orchestre Symhonique de Trois-Rivières, the Canadian Brodcasting Corporation and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal.
Among her works:
“Jovian & Telluric” opus 54 for flute and electroacoustic harp, commissionned by Noël Wan (in progress) creation 2025
“Kheírōn” opus 53 Nocturne for solo harp, commissioned by Heather Cornelius with support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts and figured among the finalists for the 2025 USA International Harp Competition Ruth Inglefield Composition Contest. World premiered on September 15 2024 at Lloyd Ultan Hall, Minnesota
“Partita” opus 52 for violin and harp, commissioned by Lori Gemmell with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. World premiered with violonist Sheila Jaffé on April 12 2024 at Heliconian Hall in Toronto
“Stellar Sonata” opus 51 for electroacoustic harp (2019), supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and created at Espace Camac in Paris
“El Niño Mudo Prologue-La Barraca-Epilogue” opus 50 for voice, flute, viola and celtic harp, commissioned by Jasmine Hogan and the Baltimore Peabody Institute of Music
“Stellae Saltantem” opus 49 for electric harp and acoustic harp (2014), commissioned by the Atlantic Harp Duo/Marta Power and Elizabeth Jaxon
“Close for Couloir” opus 48 for harp and cello (2013), commissioned by the Duo Couloir/Heidi Krutzen and Ariel Barnes, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Recorded on the album Transfiguration by Valérie Milot and Stéphane Tétreault, Atma Classique – Prix Opus 2023 Album of the year: Modern and contemporary music
“La Madone” opus 43 for solo harp (2009), commissioned by Valérie Milot, is among the required repertoire for the American Harp Society’s Anne Adams Award in 2020
“Raga” opus 41 for two harps (2006), commissioned by Radio-Canada for harpists Judy Loman and Jennifer Swartz
“Concerto Techno” opus 40 for harp, live techno and orchestra (2003), commissioned by the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières
“Suite Galactique” opus 39 for solo harp (2000) required piece for the American Harp Society’s Anne Adams Award in 2016 and for the American Harp Society National Competition in 2023.
“Odyssée” opus 37 for solo harp (1990) figured among the finalists for the 2010 USA International Harp Competition’s Composition Contest. Required piece for the American Harp Society National Competition in 2023.
Caroline founded les éditions Calyane in 1999, a publishing company that produces her works with a personalized touch. She distributes her music in all countries of the Americas and Europe, New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan. There are also points of sale in the most important harp manufacturers around the world such as Camac Harps France, Salvi Harps London and Lyon & Healy Harps USA.
Member and co-founder of the Four Seasons Harp Quartet with harpists Jennifer Swartz, Lori Gemmel and Caroline Léonardelli, Lizotte has signed several original transcriptions for the quartet, which has toured Canadian chamber music festivals since its formation in 2004. An accomplished orchestral musician, she was with the Orchestre Symphonique de Trois-Rivières for 20 years and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal for 23 years.
Teacher and mentor for several career harpists, Caroline founds in 2023 Lizotte Academia specializing in teaching her compositions. She is also called upon to give master classes and to present concerts of her works around the globe, including: University of North Texas, Colburn School of Music Los Angeles, Glenn Gould School and University of Toronto, Eastman School of Music Rochester, Royal Northern Academy London, University of Arizona, Norvegian Music Academy Oslo, University of Ottawa, Roosevelt University Chicago, Boston Conservatory of Music, Conservatoires de Musique du Québec.
She has taught at Trois-Rivières and Montréal Conservatories of music, Schulich School McGill University and Cégep St-Laurent. She was on the National Youth Orchestra of Canada‘s Faculty and the Orford Academy‘s Faculty. Since 2010, Caroline Lizotte is harp professor at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Music.
A native of Quebec City, she graduated from the Conservatoire de musique de Québec in 1992 and studied at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY.