Michelle Gott was recently appointed to the harp faculty at the University of Arizona. Gott will begin her appointment in August, succeeding Carrol McLaughlin, who taught at Arizona for over 30 years before passing away in March 2018. “I am completely thrilled and honored to join the wonderful faculty at the University of Arizona,” Gott says. “My predecessor, Dr. Carrol McLaughlin, was a major inspiration in my life, and so it is with great humility, respect for her legacy, and commitment to the integrity of this harp program that I accept my new position.”
The University of Arizona harp department is known for its innovative touring harp ensemble, HarpFusion. Named for its commitment to playing the music of cultures from around the world, the group exclusively performs repertoire written or arranged by its members. Since its establishment, HarpFusion has performed in a range of countries in Europe, Asia, and South America. “For many years, HarpFusion has been a leading creative force in arranging and composing for harp ensemble as well as touring, and I have a strong vision for the interdisciplinary evolution of this group,” Gott says. When asked about her other plans for the harp program, she says, “I look forward to strengthening community education programs and outreach initiatives, as well as commissioning new projects.”
As an educator, Gott taught at the University of Ottawa and directed the harp ensembles in the Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy. Prior to her move to Ottawa, she coached pre-college students at Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, and InterSchool Orchestra of New York. She has also served on the faculty of the Performing Arts Institute in Pennsylvania and the Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy (PRISMA). As a soloist, she performed at Carnegie Hall for the New York premiere of Kevin Kaska’s harp concerto and has been featured with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. She has also worked with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the St. Louis Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Gott received her bachelor of music, master of music, and doctorate of musical arts from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Nancy Allen.
For more information about Gott, visit her website at http://www.michellegott.com/.
