Jude Harpstar
Gauteng
Jude Harpstar is a multifaceted award-winning artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has the ability to transform herself visually and musically to mesmerise crowds with her dynamic and exhilarating performances on harp and piano. Harpstar has travelled the world as a soloist, orchestral player and band member, performing in a multitude of genres to diverse crowds for various events. She has won numerous accolades, amongst them “Africa iTunes Classical Album of The Year 2015” as soloist of the Piano Solo Album composed by Caroline Leisegang entitled Øyeblikk, Yamaha Competition 2004 as a pianist and two International Awards for “Best Acoustic Song” and “Best Pop/Adult/Contemporary EP” in The Independent Music Awards with her duo LU FLUR.
Jude has graced stages at festivals, concerts, shows and private events in Austria, Botswana, France, Germany, Ghana, Switzerland, South Africa, United States of America and Zimbabwe. Harpstar has shared thestage with many legends in the industry, amongst them Gregory Porter, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Sibongile Khumalo, Lira, Kwesta, Gloria Bosman, Pops Mohamed, Toya Delazy, Loyiso Bala and Joseph Clark.
At age 15, Jude was one of 30 harpists around the world (aged 12-29) selected to perform at The Eighth World Harp Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. 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.
Jude is currently working on obtaining her Reiki Masters certification, coproducing an Afrikaans album as part of a duo called Oorgeklank and recording a jazz piano album inspired by the paintings of her late famous abstract artist grandmother, Hannatjie Van der Wat.