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Department of

Music

Julie Ann Smith

Instructor

Principal Harpist of the San Diego Symphony, Julie Ann Smith has established herself as one of the most prominent young harpists today, performing as both an orchestral musician and concert artist. Gaining international recognition for her charismatic performing style and diverse repertoire, Ms. Smith was the Silver medalist winner in the 2004 USA International Harp Competition and Bronze medalist in 2001. She made her National Symphony Orchestra debut in 2003 and has been honored in numerous competitions throughout the country. Her many honors include grand prizes in the Corpus Christi International Young Artist Competition and the Midland/Odessa National Young Artist Competition, both open to all instrumentalists.

Captivating audiences worldwide with her dramatic presence and engaging style, Ms. Smith is active as a recitalist and soloist with orchestra. Her appearances include multiple performances with the San Diego Symphony, one of which includes premiering a double concerto written for her and the SDSO, the New World Symphony Orchestra, the West Los Angeles Symphony, the South Dakota Symphony, the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, to name a few. She has been the opening recitalist for the 2006 American Harp Society National Conference, the 2007 USA International Harp Competition and Guest Artist for the 2010 Young Artist Harp Seminar in Rabun Gap, GA. She also continues to perform as a soloist on concert series across the country each season.

Ms. Smith is equally experienced as a chamber and orchestral musician collaborating with renowned musicians across the country. A founding member of the San Diego-based Myriad Trio, she regularly appears in chamber concerts and has performed abroad in Italy, Japan and Taiwan. Her festival credentials include the Bay Chamber, Mainly Mozart, and Tanglewood Music Festivals, the National Repertory Orchestra, Spoleto USA Festival, and the Pacific Music Festival in Japan. During the 2006-07 season she was the Acting Principal Harpist of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and prior to that held the position of Principal Harp for the New World Symphony Orchestra. She was the winner of the 2011 Lyric Opera Principal Harp audition and continues to serve as a substitute & section harpist with the St. Louis & Milwaukee Symphonies.

An active teacher and advocate of educating opportunities, Ms. Smith maintains a private harp studio and works with students of all ages on both lever and pedals harps. She is a certified instructor in the Suzuki method and supplements her performance schedule with master-classes across the country. Former faculty member at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Ms. Smith is also a Board Member of the San Diego Chapter of the American Harp Society as well as the Young Artist Harp Seminar in Rabun Gap, GA. Beginning in the fall of 2012, she will be joining the music program at the University of San Diego as their Adjunct Harp Professor.

Ms. Smith has released her first album, The Rhapsodic Harp, which is available from her website, www.harpjas.com. In the spring of 2012 the Myriad Trio (www.themyriadtrio.com) will release their debut recording entitled The Eye of Night. Attending the Cleveland Institute of Music, she received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in harp performance where she studied with Yolanda Kondonassis. Her other primary teachers have included Alice Chalifoux and Patrice Lockhart. A native of Hastings, NE, Ms. Smith began studying the harp at age eleven.