Biography
Kathryn Harpainter began her musical studies when she was 10 years old, and since then she has studied violin, viola and piano. Currently, Kathryn is pursuing her Doctorate degree in viola performance with a minor in orchestral conducting at the University of Arizona. She completed her Masters in Music from the University of Arizona in 2014 after graduating Magna Cum Laud with her Bachelor degree in Music from the University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music in Stockton, CA. Her primary teachers have been Hong-Mei Xiao, Professor of Viola at the University of Arizona, Yun-Jie Liu, Associate Principal Violist for the San Francisco Symphony, and Igor Veligan, Professor of Violin and Viola at the University of the Pacific.
Her orchestra experience includes serving as principal viola with North State Symphony in Chico, CA, and as assistant principal viola for Veridian Symphony in Yuba City, CA. Kathryn has also toured with Alaska’s Juneau Symphony for their spring 2012 season, Aspen Music Festival, and currently she is a substitute violist with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
Kathryn has taught independently as a private violin/viola instructor for the past 10 years and for many organizations both in California and in Arizona, including the Tucson Symphony Women’s Association, University of Arizona’s String Project, Young Talent’s Music School, Cecilia Whitby’s Music School, and as Graduate Teaching Assistant for the University of Arizona Graduate String Quartet for the past year and a half.
As a soloist, Kathryn has performed with American River
College Orchestra, with Adventure Christian Church, and at the University of the Pacific’s 2010 Honors Recital. In 2015 she was awarded first place in the Master Player’s Summer Festival Solo Competition, which was hosted by the University of Delaware. In her pre-college years she was also a finalist in the Music in the Mountain’s Young Artist Competitions and was awarded first place in the chamber music division in both 1999 and 2000.
In her spare time Kathryn enjoys playing Celtic fiddle, and participating in hiking and other outdoor activities with her family and friends.