Katerina Gima

Katerina Gima is the Principal Harpist of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, since 2004.

She was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1979 and began studying the harp at age 11 with professor Maria Bildea until her graduation in 1998 from the Athenaeum Conservatory. After having won a merit scholarship from the Athens Concert Hall she took off to the USA to study with professor Dr.Ruth K.Inglefield at the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University, from where she graduated with a Bachelor and a Master of Music. Her graduate studies continued in Vienna with a merit scholarship from the Leventis Foundation, at the Universtität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst with professor Adelheid Blovsky-Miller. She graduated in 2005 with a Postgradual Diplom.

She has performed as a soloist with the St.Petersburg Chamber Orchestra (under the baton of Neeme Järvi), with the State Orchestra of Cyprus and the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra. Her orchestral collaborations also include the Athens State Symphony Orchestra, the Athens Camerata and the Greek National Radio Orchestra.

Katerina Gima has given recitals and chamber music concerts in Europe and the USA and has performed in festivals such as the 22nd Tokyo Summer Festival, the David Oistrah Festival (Estonia), the Rio de Janeiro Harp Festival and the 11th World Harp Congress in Vancouver, Canada in 2011.

She is the official correspondent for the World Harp Congress Review and in 2012 she was a jury member at the USA International Harp Composition Competition.

(photo by Iren Topouria)