Musical America ranks CIM’s Yolanda Kondonassis among Top 30 Professionals of the Year for 2023

CIM is proud to announce that harp department head Yolanda Kondonassis has been named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of the Year for 2023.  

The honor, announced in early December, recognizes classical music industry professionals who “persistently and relentlessly strive to keep the performing arts vital.” The group includes performing musicians of all types as well as administrators, directors, educators, consultants, and others.  

“I’m so proud to be a member of this amazing and diverse musical community,” said Kondonassis (BM ’86, MM ’89, Chalifoux). “While I know so many people are deserving of recognition, I thank Musical America sincerely for this honor and hope to continue doing my part to advance the future of classical music.”  

Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals list has been released annually for over a decade. Previous winners affiliated with CIM include oboist Titus Underwood (BM ’08, Mack), bassist Thomas Knific (BM’82), violinist Amy Schwartz Moretti (BM '98, MM '01, Weilerstein), educator Katie Wyatt (MM ’05, Konopka), and administrator Crystal Carlson (PS ’09, Schiller). 

In addition to Kondonassis, another member of the 2023 Top 30 class is a CIM alum: Magee Capsouto (MM '14, Preucil), Associate Director at Equity Arc.

Kondonassis did not submit her name for consideration. Rather, her name was offered by others in response to Musical America’s call for candidates. 

Certainly, Kondonassis embodies the traits Musical America seeks to honor. In addition to being a vital performer, she meets the standards of being “thoughtful, creative, and often innovative.”  

Since making her debut at age 18 with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta, Kondonassis has performed in both soloist and member capacities with numerous major orchestras. She also has been an active chamber musician, regularly performing with many of today’s brightest lights. 

With a discography of over 25 albums, she has been nominated for a Grammy Award twice, and her world premiere recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto won a 2020 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. 

Kondonassis is also a champion of contemporary music, regularly commissioning, performing, and recording new music, and is the published author of four books, including her critically acclaimed children’s book, My Earth, My Home. She is also the founder and director of Earth at Heart, a non-profit devoted to inspiring conservation awareness and action through the arts.  

Paul W. Hogle, CIM’s President & CEO, hailed Kondonassis for her nomination and praised CIM’s harp department as “the center of America’s harp universe,” owing both to Kondonassis’ tenure as head of CIM’s harp department for the past 26 years and to her teacher at CIM, Alice Chalifoux.  

“It is only fitting that Yolanda Kondonassis has been named one of Musical America's Top 30 Professionals of the Year,” Hogle said.  

“CIM is proud of her major international concert and recording career as one of the world’s preeminent solo harpists, coupled with her own pedagogical and entrepreneurial prowess.”