Nuiko Wadden ’02 Joins �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Faculty as Assistant Professor of Harp</h1> <article> <h1>Nuiko Wadden ’02 Joins �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Faculty as Assistant Professor of Harp</h1> <p>azaleski — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 21:05:38 +0000</p> <span>Nuiko Wadden ’02 Joins �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Faculty as Assistant Professor of Harp</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-10T16:05:38-05:00" title="Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - 16:05">Wed, 12/10/2025 - 16:05</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Nuiko Wadden ’02 will join the <a href="/conservatory" data-entity-type="external">�鶹��Ƶ Conservatory</a> faculty as an assistant professor of <a href="/harp" data-entity-type="external">harp</a>, beginning in the fall of 2026. </p><p>Wadden is principal harpist of the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet orchestras and the Des Moines Metro Opera. She is also a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble and the Pittsburgh-based Kassia Ensemble and serves as a substitute harpist for the Pittsburgh Symphony.</p><p>“It will be wonderful to have Nuiko join the faculty as our new professor of harp,” says Professor of Conducting Timothy Weiss. “She brings an exceptional combination of artistry, a broad range of professional experience across musical genres, and outstanding pedagogical and mentorship skills. I’m confident she will build a strong studio in which students feel fully supported and in excellent hands with a truly great teacher.”</p><p>The appointment is a return to Wadden’s �鶹��Ƶ roots. She earned a degree in harp performance at the conservatory and has returned to campus to work with students, including the International Contemporary Ensemble in spring 2025. </p><figure role="group" class="image_resized align-right"> <div class="media-embed-resized" style="width:482px;"> </div> <figcaption>Wadden performs with the International Contemporary Music Ensemble at �鶹��Ƶ in Spring 2025. Photo credit: Yevhen Gulenko</figcaption> </figure> <p>“As I get further in time away from my experience at �鶹��Ƶ, I realize even more what a unique place it is,” Wadden says. “When I spent a week at �鶹��Ƶ with the International Contemporary Ensemble, I was delighted and impressed by not only the preparation students had done, but also the energy and engagement they brought to the experience. That's exciting and invigorating, and I'm excited to be a part of it.” </p><p>Walden made her concerto debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in 2010 and has appeared as a soloist with the Skokie Valley Symphony and Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra. She has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions, including the Minnesota Orchestra Competition, and has been recognized in the Ann Adams, ASTA, American Harp Society, and Houston Tuesday Music Club competitions.</p><p>In addition to her orchestral and opera work, Wadden is an avid proponent of contemporary music. Over the span of her career, she has performed world premieres of both solo and chamber works by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Suzanne Farrin, Christopher Cerrone, Missy Mazzoli, Paul Lansky, Pierre Jalbert, Hilda Paredes, Karim Al-Zand, and John Luther Adams, as well as numerous orchestral works. </p><p>Wadden is also half of the Pittsburgh ensemble TinyBeast, which is dedicated to performing new works for violin and harp, and spent 10 years as a member of the flute-viola-harp trio, janus. Additionally, she has recorded on the Naxos, MODE, Tzadik, Sono Luminus, and New World labels, and she appears on the inaugural opera recordings of Chris Cerrone’s <em>In a Grove</em> and Missy Mazzoli’s <em>Proving Up</em>.</p><p>“I bring unique insights to my teaching gig at �鶹��Ƶ,” Wadden says. “My career has not been singularly focused: I've played with orchestras, but also said yes to any chamber experiences that appeared. I look forward to preparing students to say yes with confidence to any opportunity that comes along.”</p><hr><p><em>Learn about what it's like to </em><a href="/harp" data-entity-type="external"><em>study harp</em></a><em> at the �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The versatile musician brings extensive opera, orchestral, and contemporary music experience to her role</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-12-10T12:00:00Z">Wed, 12/10/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35951">Harp</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pull-images field--type-list-string field--label-hidden field__item">Yes</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Nuiko Wadden</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Harpist Diane Evans Appointed to �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Faculty</h1> <p>eburnett — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:23:18 +0000</p> <span>Harpist Diane Evans Appointed to �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory Faculty</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2022-01-19T10:23:18-05:00" title="Wednesday, January 19, 2022 - 10:23">Wed, 01/19/2022 - 10:23</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><a href="/node/384996">Diane Evans</a>, the longtime principal harp of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, has been named Visiting Associate Professor of Harp at �鶹��Ƶ Conservatory. She will begin her new role in fall 2022.</p> <p>Evans replaces Yolanda Kondonassis, �鶹��Ƶ’s harp professor since 1997, who will retire from the conservatory at the conclusion of the spring 2022 semester.</p> <p>A native of Northeast Ohio, Evans studied harp at �鶹��Ƶ, where she was a student of legendary professor and Cleveland Orchestra harpist Alice Chalifoux. She began her career with positions in the Toledo Symphony—a role she fulfilled while still a student at �鶹��Ƶ—and the Omaha Symphony, before joining the Indianapolis Symphony in 1981.</p> <p>With the orchestra, Evans delights in performing a virtually endless array of repertoire, from concert hall staples to world premieres, as well as operas and pops concerts. She has served as soloist for numerous works throughout her career and enjoys performing chamber music.</p> <p>In addition to her onstage career, Evans taught harp for many years at Butler University. In the studio, she emphasizes individually tailored instruction and a problem-solving approach for each student.</p> <p>“I try to evaluate what’s going on and what the student is thinking. Then I address the situation in a process-oriented way,” she says. “I try to open the door to my students’ own creative expression, and I try to be in the moment with them. And when a challenge arises, I think of it as a puzzle to solve—and there's always a way, if we explore deeply enough.”</p> <p>Evans recalls �鶹��Ƶ as an idyllic locale for her own musical studies.</p> <p>“I loved it here,” she says, recounting her various conservatory mentors and the numerous college courses—among them art history, astronomy, and philosophy—she pursued. “I wanted to take advantage of all that �鶹��Ƶ had to offer. I received an outstanding education, full of information and ideas that have informed every day of my professional career.</p> <p>“Returning to teach at �鶹��Ƶ is a satisfying and profoundly meaningful step for me. This closes the circle of my musical life, allowing me to offer the superb legacy that was nurtured for me at �鶹��Ƶ to today's talented and dedicated students.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Principal harp of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra to begin in fall 2022.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2022-01-19T12:00:00Z">Wed, 01/19/2022 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3341">Conservatory Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2974">Conservatory Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35951">Harp</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/diane-evans" hreflang="und">Diane Evans</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Phoebe Durand-McDonnell ’19 Awarded Fulbright Award in Switzerland</h1> <p>eulrich — Wed, 15 May 2019 13:41:37 +0000</p> <span>Phoebe Durand-McDonnell ’19 Awarded Fulbright Award in Switzerland</span> <span><span>eulrich</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-05-15T09:41:37-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 15, 2019 - 09:41">Wed, 05/15/2019 - 09:41</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Phoebe Durand-McDonnell says she was first compelled to apply for a Fulbright after discovering a baroque harp in a locked practice room in the Conservatory of Music. She became increasingly interested in the instrument and its history, and later consulted her private teacher, Assistant Professor of Harp Yolanda Kondonassis, about her enthusiasm. Kondonassis suggested Durand-McDonnell apply for a Fulbright to further explore her interest.</p> <p>Durand-McDonnell says her decision to apply for a Fulbright was crystallized after attending a <a href="/events/guestmasterclasslecturemariaclearyharpist" target="_blank">masterclass and workshop</a> with the renowned harpist Maria Cleary in her junior year. The summer after watching Cleary perform at �鶹��Ƶ, Durand-McDonnell studied with her in the Czech Republic and later decided to write her Fulbright application to study with her in Geneva.</p> <p>“One of the biggest Fulbright questions is, ‘Why couldn‘t you do this project in the U.S.?’” Durand-McDonnell says. “Although there are a few historic harpists in the U.S., none of them teach at institutions. I studied with Maria in the Czech Republic last summer at a festival and realized I really just love her teaching style and musicality.”</p> <p>During her Fulbright year, Durand-McDonnell is most looking forward to studying historical performance practices in Europe—the birthplace of Western classical music. She will be pursuing a master’s degree program at the Haute Ècole de Music de Genève with Cleary and is particularly excited about studying with a Baroque harp provided to her by the institution.</p> <p>“In terms of just living in Switzerland, I’m very excited about attending concerts in Geneva and exploring the old city,” she says. “I’m most looking forward to playing music I love, on instruments I love, with a teacher I love!”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-05-15T12:00:00Z">Wed, 05/15/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erin Ulrich ’18</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Senior harp performance major Phoebe Durand-McDonnell ’19 has been awarded a Fulbright to study historical harp performance in the Department of Musique Ancienne at the École de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35951">Harp</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Phoebe Durand-McDonnell ’19</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Chris Schmucki ’22</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Harpist Anya Garipoli ’19 Wins Lyon & Healy Award</h1> <p>eburnett — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 16:53:06 +0000</p> <span>Harpist Anya Garipoli ’19 Wins Lyon & Healy Award</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-03-21T12:53:06-04:00" title="Thursday, March 21, 2019 - 12:53">Thu, 03/21/2019 - 12:53</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Anya Garipoli, a fourth-year harp performance major from West Long Branch, New Jersey, was one of three winners of the 2019 Lyon & Healy Awards, which took place March 16 in Chicago.</p> <p>A student of Yolanda Kondonassis, Garipoli joined 53 other participants in performing Jacques de la Presle’s <em>Le Jardin Mouillé</em> and Nino Rota’s <em>Sarabanda e Toccata</em> for a panel of three judges. Garipoli and two co-winners each received $2,000 and a $500 Lyon & Healy gift certificate. Five additional harpists earned honorable mention.</p> <p>The competition was open to all harpists under the age of 30. The jury panel consisted of Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Harpist Sarah Bullen, Houston Symphony Principal Harpist Paula Page, and Kondonassis, an acclaimed soloist and faculty member at �鶹��Ƶ.</p> <p>“I walked away feeling like I had played very musically,” Garipoli says. “There are so many technically proficient players out there—actually more than proficient: <em>amazingly</em> proficient. But I just tried to create a performance that I thought would touch someone and be memorable, especially when they are listening to the same music 54 times! I feel like if it’s captivating, people will remember that.”</p> <p>In 2016, Garipoli was a winner of the American Harp Society’s Anne Adams Awards Competition.</p> <p>In addition to classical repertoire, she has pursued opportunities with �鶹��Ƶ’s Performance & Improvisation (PI) ensembles, which unite musicians from the worlds of classical and jazz.</p> <figure class="captioned-image obj-right"> <figcaption>Anya Garipoli playing Debussy's<em> La Mer</em> at Carnegie Hall in January 2019. Photo by Fadi Kheir </figcaption> </figure> <p>She also found inspiration in a course on electroacoustic performance offered by the conservatory’s <a href="/timara">Technology in Music and Related Arts (TIMARA)</a> department. It was there that she learned to use effects pedals, processors, and other equipment to coax otherworldly sounds from her instrument.</p> <p>On March 20, Garipoli performed as part of a TIMARA junior recital in �鶹��Ƶ’s Medieval-inspired Fairchild Chapel. She was pre-recorded in performance for a fixed-media track that also included guitar, organ, recorder, and two vocalists; at the recital, the recording was manipulated by TIMARA student Katarina Mazur while Garipoli and her fellow musicians improvised over it.</p> <p>Just two months earlier, she found herself onstage at Carnegie Hall, performing Debussy’s <em>La Mer </em>with the �鶹��Ƶ Orchestra (pictured).</p> <p>“I have utilized so much of what �鶹��Ƶ has to offer,” says Garipoli, who has also enjoyed environmental studies and philosophy courses in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Not many classical conservatories offer all of these things, and that’s really amazing.”</p> <p>Garipoli will be a fellow at the Music Academy of the West’s orchestral program in summer 2019. She was a fellow of the Round Top Festival Institute in 2018 and the Texas Music Festival in 2017.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-03-21T12:00:00Z">Thu, 03/21/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Erich Burnett</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Student of Yolanda Kondonassis emerges from field of 54 performers in Chicago competition.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2410">Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35951">Harp</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33031">TIMARA</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Julie Gulenko '15</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>