Russian wins harp final

Maria Krushevskaya is finally going home. But now she will be returning to Russia with a $55,000 Lyon and Healy gold concert grand harp and a first-place medal from the USA International Harp Competition. The win also includes thousands of dollars in cash prizes, a CD recording and recitals in New York, London and Taipei.\nThirty-six participants were narrowed down throughout three stages of competition to three finalists to compete during Saturday’s finals in the Musical Arts Center. Hanako Hirano of Japan placed second and Coline-Marie Orliac of France placed third in the competition.\n“I was dreaming that in a couple of days I could return to Russia,” Krushevskaya said.\nFollowing the competition, the winner plans to return to her home country, where she hopes she can get some much-needed rest for her fingers, she said.\n“I took the first prize because (for) 17 years I have worked hard,” she said.\nThe stressful 10-day competition has been a challenge for the winner. Krushevskaya, 23, has been playing the harp since age 7 and placed fifth at the 2004 competition.\n“I was just happy because the first and second stage was difficult for me,” she said. “I’m happy that the competition is over. It was a very long and hard competition.”\nKrushevskaya may have won first prize, but audience member Carol Isaacs of Bloomington thinks nobody really lost.\n“Beautiful and inspiring, they are extremely talented, and I wouldn’t want to be a judge,” Isaacs said.\nShe said the competition benefits the Bloomington community and IU.\nEvery three years, the competition has brought musicians and instructors from around the world, making it the world’s only harp competition to be recognized by the World Federation of International Music Competitions.\nEach finalist performed Elena Walter Kune’s solo piece “Fantaisie sur un theme de l’opera Eugene Onegin” and Gabriel Pierne’s “Concertstuck for Harp and Orchestra, Op. 39” with the Jacobs School of Music Festival Orchestra. \nJim Allen enjoyed the competition while he and his wife, Ann, hosted competitor Zhiyang Sung of China during his stay in Bloomington.\n“It’s a new experience, and we’ve enjoyed it,” Allen said. “In fact, at the end of stage one, Sung said that (Krushevskaya) would win.”