Harp By Request - Biography

Mindy Cutcher ....

Principal Harpist for the Pennsylvania Ballet, Ms. Cutcher lives at home outside Philadelphia with her husband, Steve, also an accomplished musician. Her symphonic engagements include the Baltimore and Delaware Symphonies, the St. Louis Symphony, and Philadelphia's Chamber Orchestra. In addition to being a recording artist and teacher, Ms. Cutcher has extensive experience playing for weddings, receptions, and private parties.

A student of world renowned Alice Chalifoux at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Mindy Cutcher received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Harp Performance. Even before graduating, Ms. Cutcher had already gained national exposure when she made her network television debut on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

After completing her studies, Ms. Cutcher has developed a truly international reputation, performing and traveling outside the U.S. She has traveled regularly to Japan, where she fulfilled several three month engagements in Tokyo and Okinawa. In addition to the time she spent in the Orient, Ms. Cutcher entertained for world cruisers onboard Cunard and Holland America cruise lines.

Ms. Cutcher has participated in numerous music festivals including the Chautauqua Institute, the Ohio Light Opera Company, the National Orchestral Institute in College Park, Maryland, and the Salzedo Harp Colony in Camden, Maine.

Awards include winning the Baltimore Youth Concerto Competition at age 17, and also a finalist in the 1991 Baltimore Symphony Concerto Competition. Her academic honors include membership in Pi Kappa Lambda, the national music honor society.

An unusually versatile performer, Ms. Cutcher thrives in a variety of musical styles and genres, ranging from classical and symphonic to operatic arrangements to popular tunes spanning the 20th Century. An experienced recitalist, Ms. Cutcher delights in sharing her enthusiasm for the harp by presenting lecture/demonstrations for school children everywhere.

Ms. Cutcher performs and teaches on a pedal and lever harp. Her primary instrument is a Lyon & Healy Style 30.