The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance has appointed Yolanda Kondonassis to join the department of strings faculty as director of the harp studio, starting this fall. Kondonassis will assume leadership of the harp studio upon the retirement of Joan Holland, who has directed the studio since 2008.
“I have known Joan Holland for over 40 years and consider her one of my dearest friends and most respected colleagues,” Kondonassis says in a press release. “She is truly one in a million, both as a person and an artist. I cherish the opportunity of continuing her tremendous legacy in harp at the University of Michigan and wish her a wonderful and fulfilling next chapter.”
Holland says, “As I conclude my 17th year at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, I feel very grateful and excited to have international concert artist and extraordinary teacher Yolanda Kondonassis succeed me in leading the harp studio. Harp students will be in the hands of a teacher who is committed to each student; who imparts beautiful musical and organizational skills; who teaches a harpist to play with integrity, excellence, and expressiveness; and who embraces contemporary, current music while honoring the deep traditions of the musical past.”
Kondonassis previously headed the harp departments at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Cleveland Institute of Music. She has presented masterclasses around the world and is currently the founding director of the American Harp Institute, an annual summer program at Marlboro Music in Vermont. Kondonassis has performed around the globe as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. Additionally, she is a GRAMMY-nominated recording artist with over 25 commercial recordings and has published several collections of her transcriptions and commissions, such as The Yolanda Kondonassis Collection and The Earth Collection, as well as instructional books including On Playing the Harp and The Composer’s Guide to Writing Well for the Modern Harp.
Readers can look for an in-depth interview with Kondonassis in our upcoming March-April 2026 issue of Harp Column.
