Bengi Canatan, Harp -
Bengi Canatan, born in Ankara in 1996, began her musical education at the age of eight with the Orff method and three years later was admitted to Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory, where she studied in Müjgan Aydın’s harp class.
At the age of fifteen, she won her first orchestral auditions, joining the Doğuş Children’s Symphony Orchestra and the Turkish-Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra. She later became a member of the Ankara Youth Symphony Orchestra and performed as a guest with the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra and Başkent Chamber Orchestra.
In 2017, she was admitted with highest honors to the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where she studied with Päivi Severeide and Stefania Saglietti Couto, and subsequently continued her studies under Emmanuel Ceysson. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 2020 and completed her Master’s degree in 2023.
During her studies, she already performed with orchestras such as Tapiola Sinfonietta, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish National Opera, and the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra. Following a successful audition, she served as co-principal harpist of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2018–2019 season.
Her solo and chamber music activities have included invitations to the International Cappadocia Music Festival, as well as an appearance in the “Young Talents” series of the 35th International Ankara Music Festival, where she performed as a soloist with the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra. In March 2022, she performed Reinhold Glière’s Harp Concerto with the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra.
In December 2021, she was selected in the principal harp audition of the Royal Swedish Opera, where she performed as principal harpist during the 2022 autumn season. In 2023, she also won the audition for the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and took part in its concerts.
She has participated in masterclasses with world-renown harpists including Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Gabriella Bosio, Gwyneth Wentink, Sasha Boldachev, Sivan Magen and Isabelle Perrin. In 2024, she returned to the Sibelius Academy as a member of the teaching faculty where she taught for one academic year.
Praised for her “very impressive musicality and rhythmic sensibility, with a great and promising future”, Bengi continues to pursue an active career as both an orchestral and chamber musician and a soloist on international stages. After winning the audition in May 2025, she was appointed principal harpist of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, beginning her position in August of the same year.
Bengi Canatan, born in Ankara in 1996, began her musical education at the age of eight with the Orff method and three years later was admitted to Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory, where she studied in Müjgan Aydın’s harp class.
At the age of fifteen, she won her first orchestral auditions, joining the Doğuş Children’s Symphony Orchestra and the Turkish-Greek Youth Symphony Orchestra. She later became a member of the Ankara Youth Symphony Orchestra and performed as a guest with the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra and Başkent Chamber Orchestra.
In 2017, she was admitted with highest honors to the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, where she studied with Päivi Severeide and Stefania Saglietti Couto, and subsequently continued her studies under Emmanuel Ceysson. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 2020 and completed her Master’s degree in 2023.
During her studies, she already performed with orchestras such as Tapiola Sinfonietta, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish National Opera, and the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra. Following a successful audition, she served as co-principal harpist of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2018–2019 season.
Her solo and chamber music activities have included invitations to the International Cappadocia Music Festival, as well as an appearance in the “Young Talents” series of the 35th International Ankara Music Festival, where she performed as a soloist with the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra. In March 2022, she performed Reinhold Glière’s Harp Concerto with the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra.
In December 2021, she was selected in the principal harp audition of the Royal Swedish Opera, where she performed as principal harpist during the 2022 autumn season. In 2023, she also won the audition for the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and took part in its concerts.
She has participated in masterclasses with world-renown harpists including Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Gabriella Bosio, Gwyneth Wentink, Sasha Boldachev, Sivan Magen and Isabelle Perrin. In 2024, she returned to the Sibelius Academy as a member of the teaching faculty where she taught for one academic year.
Praised for her “very impressive musicality and rhythmic sensibility, with a great and promising future”, Bengi continues to pursue an active career as both an orchestral and chamber musician and a soloist on international stages. After winning the audition in May 2025, she was appointed principal harpist of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, beginning her position in August of the same year.
