Jude Harpstar, a Semi-Finalist (Top 18) in “SA’s Got Talent 2014”, is an internationally trained and award-winning artist who has recently won “iTunes Classical Album of The Year 2015” as soloist of the Piano Solo Album composed by Caroline Leisegang entitled Øyeblikk, signed by Sony Music.

She has also won 2 International Awards for “Best Acoustic Song” and “Best Pop/Adult/Contemporary EP” in The Independent Music Awards with her duo LU FLUR. Jude has been described by Paul Boekkooi (Arts journalist, theatre reviewer and music critic) as “arguably the most versatile and both technically and musically one of the most inspiring harpists in South Africa…”

Jude’s talent has taken her all over the world, performing in festivals such as The Young Euro Classic Festival in Germany, Carinthischer Sommer Festival - Kongresshaus Villach, Austria, The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival with Grammy Award-winning Jazz vocalist Gregory Porter, Joy of Jazz and Macufe Festival with legendary Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Sufi Music Festival with legendary Sibongile Khumalo and Splashy Fen Music Festival and Fête de la Musique with her award-winning duo Lu Flur, to name a few.

Ms Harpstar (at age 15) was one of only thirty students worldwide (from ages 12 to 25) selected to perform at The Eighth World Harp Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. Two years later, Jude attended the prestigious Interlochen Arts Camp and Academy on full merit scholarships and studied in the U.S for 7 years where she also attended the California Institute of the Arts and Oberlin College and Conservatory.

Harpstar’s competition credits include Winner of the South African String Teachers’ Competition, Winner of The Yamaha Music Competition (piano) and a Finalist in the SANLAM Youth Music Competition (piano). She was also the winner of multiple merit scholarships to the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. In 2012, Jude received an honorary medal as an Official Protea of South Africa for Music (National Youth Orchestra).

Ms. Harpstar considers solo performance to be an important part of her career and has appeared as both a harp and piano soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra. As an active orchestral harpist, Ms. Van der Wat has been the Assistant Principal Harpist of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra since the age of 15. She has performed and acted as principal harpist with numerous orchestras such as The World Youth Symphony Orchestra, Simfonia Juventi (a national youth orchestra in South Africa), The Johannesburg Youth Orchestra, Johannesburg Festival Orchestra, The National Youth Orchestra of South Africa, MIAGI Orchestra, The Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, Oberlin Symphony Orchestra and the CALARTS Free Jazz Orchestra.

Jude Harpstar performs and composes/produces in various genres and has immersed herself in many musical projects upon her return from the U.S. Jude is no stranger to collaborating with celebrities, amongst them South African popstar Toya Delazy (on Etv Sunrise), South African legend Pops Mohamed, South African Hip-Hop King KWESTA DAKAR, Bianca Le Grange and also recently collaborated with Soweto BUSKAID in their final concert of 2015 and received rave reviews for the performance.

Jude is an exclusive musician for Red Cello Productions and performs in “The Bubble” for events. She has recently joined a collective of South Africa’s superior stringed instruments called “Urban Strings” and is currently working on new music, composing, performing and producing.

First published 24 February 2015
Updated 22 January 2016