Philadelphia Harpist Katherine Ventura has performed throughout the United States, Europe, United Kingdom, and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra member. She has performed in some of the most prestigious halls in the world including Carnegie Hall in New York, Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, Spain, Musikverein in Vienna, Austria, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan. An experienced orchestral musician, Ms. Ventura has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Boston Pops, the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, as Principal Harp (trial) of the Philharmonia Orchestra (London), Houston Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, and New World Symphony. She appears frequently with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as substitute principal harp and second harp, and has performed on recordings and international tours. By international audition, she was selected as Principal Harp of the Verbier Festival Orchestra 2012 - 2014 (Verbier, Switzerland), Charles Dutoit, Artistic Director. Ms. Ventura has also appeared at the Ravinia Festival (Chicago, IL), Spoleto Festival USA (Charleston, SC), Pacific Music Festival (Sapporo, Japan), Aspen Music Festival (Aspen, CO), National Repertory Orchestra (Breckenridge, CO), and at the Courchevel Music Alp Festival (Courchevel, France).
Katherine received her bachelor's degree with honors in Music Performance: Harp from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008, where she studied harp pedagogy and performance under Gretchen Van Hoesen, Principal Harp, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She received her Masters Degree in Music Performance: Harp from Roosevelt University, Chicago College of Performing Arts in 2010 as a student of Sarah Bullen, Principal Harp, Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Currently living in Philadelphia, Katherine is pursuing her doctoral degree in harp performance at Temple University, studying under Philadelphia Principal Harp, Elizabeth Hainen.
Katherine has performed for hundreds of events all over the Chicago area, and has performed in venues including Symphony Center, Harris Theater, Art Institute of Chicago, Union League Club of Chicago, Chicago Botanical Gardens, Lyric Opera House, Auditorium Theater, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Spiaggia Lounge, and the Omni Chicago, in addition to many others. In Philadelphia Katherine has performed for High Tea at the Rittenhouse Hotel, at the Academy of Music, and the Kimmel Center. Katherine is happy to perform for any event including weddings, parties, corporate events, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, luncheons, teas, funerals, etc.