Johanna Dorothea Görißen, born in 2000, has won numerous national and international competitions. These include first prize at the Felix Godefroid International Harp Competition in Belgium (2022), fifth prize at the USA International Harp Competition in Bloomington, Indiana (2022), and second prize at the German Harp Association competition (2021). In 2023, she reached the semi-finals of the renowned ARD International Music Competition and was awarded a scholarship at the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb (German Music Competition) in the same year.
She began playing the harp at the age of eight and completed her bachelor’s degree at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin under Prof. Maria Graf, before continuing her studies with Sandrine Chatron, Erika Waardenburg and Gwyneth Wentink on the master’s programme at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. She then returned to the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin to further her studies on the master’s programme under Prof. Sivan Magen, graduating with top marks as well.
From an early age, she gained extensive orchestral experience and was an Academy member with the Münchner Philharmoniker from 2022 to 2024. Since 2024, she has been a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra and, since September 2025, an Academy member of the Hermann Levi Academy of the Bayerisches Staatsorchester. In addition, she regularly performs as a substitute with renowned orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Münchner Philharmoniker and the Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest.
She has been awarded numerous scholarships and prizes for her outstanding achievements, including scholarships from the German National Academic Foundation (since 2019), the Jürgen Ponto Foundation, the Hans and Eugenia Jütting Foundation and the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben.
She has been performing frequently as a soloist for many years. Since 2016, she has given regular solo recitals, including as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. She made her debut as a soloist with an orchestra at the age of 13 and has since performed as a soloist with orchestras on numerous occasions, for example with the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Christoph-Mathias Mueller.
During the 2024/25 concert season, she performed several concerts in a duo with Julika Hink (vocals) and Michael Wehrmeyer (cello) as part of the concert promotion programme of the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb (German Music Competition).