Background + Highlights
Katia started playing harp at the age of 8 with Xanya Mamunya (student of Alice Chalifoux). During adolescence, she broadened her horizons with learning languages, living overseas, teaching English, and rallying for Human Rights causes. After much life experience, Katia decided to fully dedicate herself to becoming a professional harp player. Since, she has been a student of Alice Giles AM, and graduated from The Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2022 with High Distinction. She has published 2 works in the 2021 AMEB Harp Syllabus, and has written 2 modern classical harp books with original compositions (2022), including an explanation of Harp notation and Extended Harp Techniques (“The Sonorous Harp” and “Sonorous Strings”). She has been awarded the Quinquin foundation scholarship for young talents in classical music (2022), the William and Marie Souter Encouragement Awards for aspiring concert stage instrumentalists (2018-2020), and the Bachelor of Music Scholarship for excellence (2017).
Performance + Style
“Katia is a musician with an exceptionally strong, individual expression and great originality. This is evident not only in her performances, but also as a composer for her instrument. She is able to bring out the full power and richness of the sonorities of the harp, playing with technical command and musical integrity.” – Alice Giles AM
Katia’s forte is 20th Century solo and chamber repertoire, with a passion for Carlos Salzedo’s (1885 – 1961) harp techniques and compositions. Her compositional style aims to unleash the harp’s full resonant capacity, expressive and timbral capabilities. Her goal is to push the harp to new limits, and to spread knowledge of how to write for it idiomatically. Furthermore, she is passionate about teaching, and making the harp more accessible to (younger) music curious students. She is currently freelance performing between Sydney and Melbourne.
So far, Katia’s most memorable performance has been with Ensemble Modern at ANAM (2017). A program which featured Frank Zappa’s orchestral albums, ‘The Adventures of Gregory Peccary,’ and ‘Yellow Shark.’
Pedal or lever harp lessons from 30 to 60 minutes.
Based in St. Kilda OR Fitzroy (Melbourne, VIC).
Individual lessons only.
WWC card exp. 2025
Full First Aid and CPR current