The Omaha Symphony has appointed Janna Young principal harpist, following three rounds of auditions held April 14–16 in Omaha. Young begins performing in her new role with the orchestra in September 2024.
“I’m so excited to be joining the Omaha Symphony!” Young says. “In addition to playing alongside such fantastic musicians, I’m looking forward to joining the orchestra’s efforts in community outreach. They’ve worked hard in programming concerts for all ages and have created many opportunities outside of the concert hall for people to access our music.”
Young previously held the principal harp position at the Civic Orchestra of Chicago under Music Director Ken-David Masur. She has worked with many orchestras around the country, including the New World Symphony in Miami, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, and the Louisville Orchestra in her home state of Kentucky. In addition to her orchestral endeavors, Young’s freelancing career includes playing and arranging as a solo and chamber musician for various genres including classical, opera, pop, jazz, and bluegrass. She has also worked side-by-side with composers and premiered works such as Tides Within: Concerto for Wind Ensemble by award-winning composer Martin Hebel, and A Shadow in the Pale Fog by Wen Gao.
Young holds her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in harp performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music under the instruction of Gillian Benet Sella of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, where she learned the harp from Elaine Cook of the Lexington Philharmonic.
Learn more on Young’s website.
