Gillian Sella
Dr. Gillian Benet Sella is Principal Harpist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, a role she has held for twenty-seven years. Previously, she was Principal Harpist of the Israel Philharmonic and the Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra.
Dr. Sella has performed as a soloist around the world, including with the Israel Philharmonic, Radio Prague Symphony, the Quebec Symphony, the Kennedy Center Opera House, the Cincinnati Chamber and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, among others. Recently she performed duo recitals in Hong Kong and Beijing with CSO Principal flutist Randolph Bowman, as a soloist in recital in Los Angeles and for Lyon and Healy Harp’s mid-west Harptacular. She premiered the Liebermann Concerto for Harp and Flute with flutist James Galway and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
Since 2003 Dr. Sella has taught as Adjunct Professor at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and, for three years, was an artist-faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival. She was on the faculty of the National Youth Orchestra and the Hong Kong Harp Centre summer camp. In 2018 Dr. Sella judged the Anne Adams harp competition for the American Harp Society, in 2013 she was on the jury of the national Young Artist’s Harp Competition and she judged the 9th USA International Harp Competition at Bloomington, Indiana in 2010. She is currently a member of the USAIHC Board of Directors.
Dr. Sella’s recordings include Tailleferre’s Harp Concertino, with the Women’s Philharmonic on Koch; Debussy’s Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, Jolivet’s Chant de Linos and Jongen’s Concert à Cinq, with the Atlantic Sinfonietta on Koch; and Tan Dun’s In Distance for harp, piccolo and bass drum on CRI with the composer playing the bass drum along with dozens of recordings with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.