Belgian harpist, Stien De Neef enjoys an international career as a performer connecting with audiences through her profound musicality and captivating sound. Recent highlights include winning the 2nd Prize of the United Kingdom Harp Competition 2024 and the 1st Prize of the Renié Harp Competiton 2024 at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Stien is currently on the Foyle Future Firsts Professional Development Programme of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, learning from principal harp Rachel Masters. In July 2024, Stien completed the Training Scheme of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, learning from principal harp Katherine Thomas. Stien has played with various orchestras such as Opera North, The Midland Sinfonia, Bardi Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia of Birmingham and worked with conductors such as Michael Seal, Jac van Steen and Ed Spanjaard.

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Past successes in competitions include playing at the semi-finals of the International Harp Competition in Szeged (Hungary) in 2022, the 1st Prize of the annual Renié Harp Prize at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2021, 2nd Prize at the International Marcel Tournier Competition in Cosenza (Italy) in 2019 and 3rd Prize ‘Excellence’ at the ‘Concours Français de la Harpe’ in Limoges (France) in 2019.
Stien was selected to perform for the masterclass with Jana Boušková at the World Harp Congress in Cardiff, 2021, and she took part in masterclasses from distinguished harpists such as Veronika Lemishenko, Parker Ramsay, Sylvain Blassel, Imogen Barford and Catherine Michel.

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Stien holds an Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Performance from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where she studied with Rita Schindler, Ruth Faber and Catrin Finch. Stien additionally holds a Master Degree in Pedagogy and Performance from the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, studying with Miriam Overlach, and a Master Degree in Performance from the 'Institut Supérieur de Musique et de Pédagogie' of Namur (Belgium), where she was taught by Sophie Hallynck, Aurore Grailet and Luisa Prandina.

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Besides performing, Stien is an enthusiastic harp tutor and teaches at Rugby School and Uppingham School.