McDonald, Susann, 1935-

Susann McDonald (born May 26, 1935) is a prominent harpist who has served as the head of the harp department at multiple prestigious universities, including Julliard.

Susann McDonald was born in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1935. At age fifteen, she studied with Henriette Renié and Lily Laskine at the Conservatiore de Paris. In 1955, Susann was the first American to win the Premiere Prix de Harpe. Shortly after, she was a winner in the first International Harp Competition in Israel. In the early years of her harp career, Susann toured the world. She performed in Israel, the Netherlands, South America, Canada, and Europe. She served as the head of harp departments at the University of Arizona, California State College at Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California. She also was the head of the harp department at the Julliard School of Music from 1975 to 1985. Susann was named a Distinguished Professor of Music after serving as a chairman of the harp department at Indiana University-Bloomington in the Jacobs School of Music, which has the largest harp department in the world. In addition to her positions at various universities, Susann was also the artistic director of the World Harp Congress and the honorary president of the Association Internationale des Harpistes, and founded the USA International Harp Competition.