Danielle Riegel is an internationally renowned concert harpist celebrated for her deep musicality, versatile artistry, and innovative approach to integrating music with healing arts. Her 35-year career has captivated audiences worldwide with performances marked by technical mastery and emotional depth.

From an early age, Danielle was enchanted by the harp’s sound, leading her to study at the Young Talent Department of the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. This foundation paved the way for a successful international career, during which she performed as a soloist and chamber musician at prestigious festivals and venues, including the Salzburger Festspiele, the World Harp Congress, and the Grachtenfestival in Amsterdam. She has collaborated with esteemed conductors such as Jaap van Zweden, Reinbert de Leeuw, Mstislav Rostropovich and Neeme Järvi, and served as the principal harpist of the Symphony Orchestra of The Hague for 15 years.

Danielle’s talent has been recognized with numerous awards, including top prizes at major international harp competitions in the USA, Italy, Israel, and France. Her performances have been broadcast on television and radio, and she has recorded several CDs as a chamber musician and with renowned orchestras. Throughout her career, Danielle has demonstrated a keen interest in exploring the harp’s musical potential beyond conventional boundaries. At a young age, she was sought after by composers to contribute to the creation of new harp compositions, with several works dedicated to her. Danielle has also dedicated several years to the pursuit of authentic performance practice, and she was one of the first harpists in the Netherlands to professionally perform the arpa doppia (Renaissance harp with two rows of strings) as a soloist and in various ensembles. Additionally, she studied the viola da gamba at The Hague Conservatory for several years. Combining multiple art forms is another passion of Danielle, leading her to collaborate and create performances with dancers, actors and artists.

In recent years, Danielle has ventured beyond traditional classical music, exploring the works of neo-classical composers like Ludovico Einaudi and Yiruma. Her love for mantra and world folk music has led to new collaborations, most recently with Ayla Schafer, performing at sold oud concerts in Lisbon, Antwerp, and Amsterdam and recording for her new album. These recent developments have taken her further into the realm of improvisation and arranging, as well as incorporating electronic elements such as a looper to create unique sonic soundscapes for her sound journeys.

A significant evolution in Danielle’s career is her development of The Reconnection Journey, a unique method that combines harp therapy, sound healing, meditative practices and life coaching. This approach is designed to help individuals reconnect with their inner selves, release emotional blockages, and experience profound relaxation and healing. Danielle’s Reconnection Journey draws on her extensive experience in music, her intuitive understanding of energy work, and her training in various holistic therapies. 

Since 2020, she has been based in the Algarve, Portugal. As a lead performer at the Algarve Harp Festival in 2022 and 2023, she showcased her versatility and ability to connect deeply with listeners.
Whether on stage or in more intimate settings, Danielle Riegel continues to inspire and uplift through her exceptional talent and artistry and her innovative fusion of music, arts and healing.