Katie Ventura – Harp

Harpist Katherine Ventura has performed throughout the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra member. An experienced orchestral musician, Katherine has performed as guest principal harp with the Chicago, Pittsburgh, Houston, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestras, the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), and the Rochester and Fort Wayne Philharmonics.

Passionate about music education, Katherine is a Teaching Artist for the Lyra Society, a nonprofit organization founded by Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Harpist, Elizabeth Hainen.  Katherine previously held faculty positions at the Music Institute of Chicago and The People’s Music School in Chicago, while she maintained a full private studio in addition to being the Harp Coach for the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. She has given masterclasses for the Young Artist’s Harp Seminar, the University of Northern Iowa, and has frequently been invited as harp faculty at the Sun Valley Summer Music Institute in Idaho. Ms. Ventura is certified in Suzuki Harp Book 1 and has completed additional Suzuki training. 

Katherine moved to Philadelphia in August 2019 to study towards a Doctorate in Musical Arts on full scholarship as a student of Elizabeth Hainen. She received her Masters Degree in Music Performance from Roosevelt University, Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2010 as a student of Sarah Bullen, Principal Harp, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Ventura received her bachelor’s degree with honors in Music Performance from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008, where she studied harp pedagogy and performance under Gretchen Van Hoesen, Principal Harp, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.