September 1, 2024
Meet the Musicians
Katherine Siochi, Principal Harp
Katherine Siochi joined the San Francisco Symphony as Principal Harp beginning in the 2023–24 season and was previously principal harp of the Minnesota Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, and Sarasota Orchestra. She was a gold medalist of the 2016 USA International Harp Competition.
You’ve been a member of the Symphony for about a year now. What was the first concert you played?
My first concert was last year’s Opening Gala. We played Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer, which was new to me, but it shares a lot of music with Mahler’s First Symphony. The harp part is even identical in some spots. I really enjoyed that piece.
How did you begin playing the harp?
My first instrument was piano, which I started at about five years old. Then I began studying harp at age 10. It was actually my mom’s suggestion, because she heard about a great harp teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, where we lived at the time. I continued to play both instruments, but chose to focus on harp when I was auditioning for conservatories.
Did you have an especially influential teacher?
At Juilliard, I studied with Nancy Allen, who is principal harp of the New York Philharmonic. She is by far the biggest influence on my playing. She allowed me to become not only a better harpist, but a well-rounded musician. She taught me to think outside of just technique, emphasizing the importance of listening to other instruments and phrasing, which does not come as naturally to the harp.
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You’ve been a member of the Symphony for about a year now. What was the first concert you played?
My first concert was last year’s Opening Gala. We played Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer, which was new to me, but it shares a lot of music with Mahler’s First Symphony. The harp part is even identical in some spots. I really enjoyed that piece.
How did you begin playing the harp?
My first instrument was piano, which I started at about five years old. Then I began studying harp at age 10. It was actually my mom’s suggestion, because she heard about a great harp teacher in Memphis, Tennessee, where we lived at the time. I continued to play both instruments, but chose to focus on harp when I was auditioning for conservatories.
Did you have an especially influential teacher?
At Juilliard, I studied with Nancy Allen, who is principal harp of the New York Philharmonic. She is by far the biggest influence on my playing. She allowed me to become not only a better harpist, but a well-rounded musician. She taught me to think outside of just technique, emphasizing the importance of listening to other instruments and phrasing, which does not come as naturally to the harp.
Story continues below...
You’re often the only harpist on stage. But do you closely align with any other group of instruments?
Personally, I think harp is most similar to percussion, because once you play a note, the attack is very precise and the decay is immediate—there’s no way to sustain the sound. And like percussion, the harp stands out by contributing its own unique color and timbre, rather than blending within a larger section.
How would you describe the full breadth of what the harp can do?
We can create many different sounds, not only the angelic, soft, magical, ones. Sometimes when people hear the harp alone, they’re surprised by how loud and powerful it can actually be.
Can you tell us about the specific instruments you play?
Lyon & Healy is the most common harp maker you’ll see in the United States. They’re made in Chicago, and I really love them. The Symphony owns three—those are Salzedo models, which have a geometric Art Deco design. I also own two harps with floral carvings, called Style 23. One of them has goldleaf accents and was actually a prize from a competition.
That’s the harp you’re pictured with on the cover of this month’s program book. How did you win it?
It’s from the USA International Harp Competition, which is held every three years at Indiana University in Bloomington. In 2016, I was one of about 40 harpists who competed. We go through a series of rounds that narrows down to three finalists who all play a concerto with the orchestra. Lyon & Healy donates a harp as one of the prizes, in addition to sponsoring a recording. It’s very generous of them.
Do harps vary a lot from one to another?
Going from one style of Lyon & Healy to another feels pretty similar. But as harps get older, they tend to warm up a little bit and have more depth of sound. When they’re newer, they might be a little brighter and clearer. So there’s a trade off at a certain point, and a lot of subjectivity comes with it.
What’s your preconcert routine?
As harpists, tuning is a big thing for us. There are 47 strings, so I try to be on stage about an hour early to tune when it’s quiet. Then I usually stay on stage to warm up.
What do you enjoy doing outside of music?
I really love food and cooking. I like making elaborate meals and trying to present the food in a beautiful way. I enjoy pretty much every possible type of cuisine. My mom would cook spicy food, and my dad is half Filipino and half Brazilian, so he would always make those cuisines. As a kid growing up, I learned to enjoy a lot of different foods.
Which concerts are you especially looking forward to this season?
I’m very excited for Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (March 13–14, 2025), which has incredible harp cadenzas, and also Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome (May 2–3). The full Firebird ballet (May 23–25) has three harps, which is really special, since we don’t often get more than two! And I also love Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (May 8–10). Those movies are so nostalgic for me.
Personally, I think harp is most similar to percussion, because once you play a note, the attack is very precise and the decay is immediate—there’s no way to sustain the sound. And like percussion, the harp stands out by contributing its own unique color and timbre, rather than blending within a larger section.
How would you describe the full breadth of what the harp can do?
We can create many different sounds, not only the angelic, soft, magical, ones. Sometimes when people hear the harp alone, they’re surprised by how loud and powerful it can actually be.
Can you tell us about the specific instruments you play?
Lyon & Healy is the most common harp maker you’ll see in the United States. They’re made in Chicago, and I really love them. The Symphony owns three—those are Salzedo models, which have a geometric Art Deco design. I also own two harps with floral carvings, called Style 23. One of them has goldleaf accents and was actually a prize from a competition.
That’s the harp you’re pictured with on the cover of this month’s program book. How did you win it?
It’s from the USA International Harp Competition, which is held every three years at Indiana University in Bloomington. In 2016, I was one of about 40 harpists who competed. We go through a series of rounds that narrows down to three finalists who all play a concerto with the orchestra. Lyon & Healy donates a harp as one of the prizes, in addition to sponsoring a recording. It’s very generous of them.
Do harps vary a lot from one to another?
Going from one style of Lyon & Healy to another feels pretty similar. But as harps get older, they tend to warm up a little bit and have more depth of sound. When they’re newer, they might be a little brighter and clearer. So there’s a trade off at a certain point, and a lot of subjectivity comes with it.
What’s your preconcert routine?
As harpists, tuning is a big thing for us. There are 47 strings, so I try to be on stage about an hour early to tune when it’s quiet. Then I usually stay on stage to warm up.
What do you enjoy doing outside of music?
I really love food and cooking. I like making elaborate meals and trying to present the food in a beautiful way. I enjoy pretty much every possible type of cuisine. My mom would cook spicy food, and my dad is half Filipino and half Brazilian, so he would always make those cuisines. As a kid growing up, I learned to enjoy a lot of different foods.
Which concerts are you especially looking forward to this season?
I’m very excited for Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (March 13–14, 2025), which has incredible harp cadenzas, and also Fountains of Rome and Pines of Rome (May 2–3). The full Firebird ballet (May 23–25) has three harps, which is really special, since we don’t often get more than two! And I also love Howard Shore’s score for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (May 8–10). Those movies are so nostalgic for me.
