One step from the dream of becoming an harpist

Crowdfunding to help Beatriz Cortesão to achieve the dream of becoming a professional harpist, continuing her harp studies with the teacher Irina Zingg, in the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado, Milan.

Beatriz Cortesão is a 19 years old portuguese harp student, who dreams of becoming a professional harpist. She started to study the harp in the music conservatorium at the age of 7, in Coimbra, Portugal, and at 16, she started the high school in Harp with the teacher Erica Versace, concluding this degree in July, 2017.

In her musical training, Beatriz developed not only the soloist part, as well as the participation in orchestra. After experiencing several teaching methods of this instrument, Beatriz made contact with the teacher of international renown, Irina Zingg, that teaches her students “the art of interpretation of the harp ", and found with this teacher the best harp teaching method for her. It’s with Irina Zingg, who currently teaches in the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado, in Milan, Italy, that Beatriz aspires to continue her higher studies, knowing that this will help her improving her performance on the harp.

The bachelor (“Triennio”) in harp, in this school, lasts for 3 years and costs €33, 000 (€11,000 annually in tuition fees, accommodation, among others). Thus, this crowdfunding aims to help Beatriz to pursue higher studies, by raising about half the annual value of the degree (€5,500) and, ultimately, to achieve her dream of becoming a professional harpist.

Beatriz Cortesão a solo com a Orquestra Clássica do Centro (Conservatório de Música de Coimbra, 2017)

About the author

Beatriz Cortesão is a young portuguese harp student, who lives in Mealhada, Portugal, that dreams of becoming a professional harpist. She started to study the harp in the music conservatorium with 7 years old, in Coimbra, Portugal, and completed her last degree in this school in July, 2017, finishing with top marks in the final artistics tests (“Prova de Aptidão Artística”; “Prova de Instrumento”).

In 2017, Beatriz was admitted to the prestigious Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado, where Irina Zingg teaches, with whom she wants to pursue studies.

Beatriz  has been participating in multiple concerts as a soloist and also in orchestra concerts. Since 2014 she is the first harpist of the Young Portuguese Orchestra (“Jovem Orquestra Portuguesa” - JOP), conducted by Pedro Carneiro, with whom she has been playing in several concerts. In this year, she played in the Young Euro Classic 2017 Festival, in Konzerthaus, Berlin, where she played as a soloist on the premiere of the piece “Raiz”, composed by Mariana Vieira, for oboe, clarinet, harp, tuba, double bass, marimba solo and orchestra (that won the 1st prize in this festival competition, the European Composer Award).

In her parallel studies, Beatriz attended several masterclasses with renowned harpists like Mario Falcão, Stéphanie Manzo, Lisetta Rossi, among others, and has been participating in intensive courses of this instrument, like in the “International Summer Harp Academy – Future Group” (HarpMasters), in 2015 and 2016, with Irina Zingg and Karen Vaughan; “International Summer Harp Academy – Pro Group” (HarpMasters), in 2017, with the teacher Milda Agazarian.

Budget and due dates

The value of this crowdfunding represents only about half the annual expenditure on the school in Milan (Total: tuition fees - €2.500; Accommodation - €5.500; Current expenditure - €2.000; Harp rent - €1.000).

The crowdfunding budget is intended to help pay the costs of accommodation - €5.500

Commissions for the PPL - €500

Images