Matthew Tutsky was named principal harpist with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic after a three-round audition on April 4, 2018. Of the process, Tutsky says, “I have played in auditions where I had to sit on top of harp covers, where I was given a harp that had Band-Aids on the harp discs, where there was a discrepancy between three different repertoire lists, where I had to warm up in a bathroom with another audition candidate… you name it! This audition process was extremely professional and fair. There were two Lyon & Healy harps available for out of town players. Three rounds were given on standard orchestral harp excerpts and your choice of three harp concertos, and candidates played behind a screen all three rounds.” He plans to start his position with the orchestra in September 2018. “I am extremely honored and grateful for the opportunity to play with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. I am really looking forward to playing many orchestral pieces I love. Highlights include Suites 1 and 2 of the ballet Daphnis et Chloe, Stravinksy’s Petrushka, and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.”
Tutsky is an experienced orchestral musician. Currently principal harpist with the Boise Philharmonic, Opera Idaho, and Ballet Idaho, he was also acting principal harpist with the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera for the 2013 – 2014 season. As a soloist, he has performed concertos with the Boise Philharmonic, Boise Baroque Orchestra, Chamber Music of the Springs in Colorado, and the Nova Chamber Music Series. In addition to his work as a classical harpist, he received training from International Harp Therapy and is now a therapeutic harp practitioner. Tutsky holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Deborah Hoffman, former principal harp with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
For more information on Tutsky, visit his website at www.matthewtutsky.com.
