Tre – Lise Vandersmissen

TRE is a bridge between old and new: this album contains both Early Music and brand-new original compositions inspired by Folk and Early Music. Since there isn’t a lot of solo repertoire for the triple harp, Lise has transcribed and arranged existing pieces (instrumentation in the Baroque period was flexible) and added her own compositions.

TRE means “three” in Italian. The Italian triple harp was invented at the end of the sixteenth century in Naples, and has three rows of strings that are strung parallel to one another. Today, the instrument is mainly played in an accompanying role as part of the continuo section. Intrigued by its unique timbres and technical possibilities, it has become Lise Vandersmissen’s goal to reintroduce the triple harp as a solo instrument.

Lise Vandersmissen (1996, Belgium) travels with her modern pedal harp and her Italian Triple Harp to perform across Europe and Asia. She has been awarded Prizes in international competitions including the First Prize at the International Harp Competition in Slovenia and the Second Prize at the Szeged International Harp Competition in Hungary, and she won the Belgian Supernova Competition with her Aglica Trio. TRE is Lise’s second solo album: her debut album “TRANSFORMED” with her own transcriptions for the modern pedal harp was released in 2023. Lise lives with her harps on a blue houseboat on the London canals and rivers. When she is not playing the harp, she loves to knit jumpers and run along the canal.