GRACE CLOUTIER, CONCERT HARPIST Known for her expressive musicality and rich, warm sound, the young concert harpist Grace Cloutier, who trained at The Juilliard School, Yale University and in France, gave her solo début and encore solo recital at Carnegie Hall (2006, 2008) as first prize winner of the International Competition of Artist International Presentations. The New York Concert Review hailed her as, “an accomplished, poised, self-assured performer...her affinity for these works was natural and complete...[her] playing was dreamy, poetic and colorful...evoking all the colors of the rainbow with scintillating effect.” A recipient of many prestigious awards, Miss Cloutier has performed before audiences across the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. She regularly appears in recital for the American Harp Society and the World Harp Congress, and as guest soloist for the Ukrainian National Music Festival (Kiev, Kharkov). Miss Cloutier recently co-founded the first international harp competition based in Ukraine, where she will continues to perform, give master classes and serve as head juror of a panel comprised of musicians from Moscow's Bolshoi Theater for Ukraine’s International Harp Competition. As featured principal harpist on tour with the United Nations' Jeunesses Musicales World Orchestra (2000-2002), she recorded for German national television's Stars von Morgan; and the Saarbrücker Zeitung described Miss Cloutier's performances as possessing "...inspiring artfulness." She regularly appears in concert with Jennifer Black of The Metropolitan Opera, with the Biava String Quartet, and has performed with the Calder String Quartet. Miss Cloutier held a performing residency at UCLA and was recently appointed head of the harp department at The University of Texas at El Paso. Miss Cloutier has been privileged to serve under the baton of many respected conductors including Leonard Slatkin, David Robertson, Julius Rudel, Andrew Litton, James De Priest and the Bolshoi’s Alexander Vedernikov. She has recorded with composer Paul Halley at Tanglewood Music Festival, performed with the Moscow Chamber Orchestra and the Moscow Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, and served with the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas from 2002-2006. She is currently principal harp of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra. Miss Cloutier also performs on Broadway, and has given solo concerts for celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, the President and the First Lady. A dynamic and engaging musician, Miss Cloutier has appeared on NBC, CNN, and CBS and the national television networks of German, French and Urkaine. Miss Cloutier is an advocate of new music and has collaborated with numerous composers, including Pulitzer Prize-winner David Del Tredici, whose newest harp work, Aeolian Ballade, she premiered at Carnegie Hall. She has also performed many new works as principal harp for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Continuum, New Juilliard Ensemble, Look and Listen Festival and New Music New Haven. An active proponent for increased public awareness concerning the intrinsic value of music for all people at every stage of life, Grace Cloutier regularly gives workshops for the young and has received the Gluck Fellowship from the The Juilliard School for her work with victims of AIDS, the elderly and children in the NYC metro region. In addition, she has been honored with a Presidential Point of Light Award for her musical contributions to Hospice. Miss Cloutier gratefully acknowledges harpists Nancy Allen, Sarah Bullen, Letizia Belmondo, Isabelle Perrin, Fabrice Pierre, Susann McDonald and Carrol McLaughlin for their teaching, support and insight. Miss Cloutier maintains an active concert schedule throughout North America and Europe and celebrates her recordings Radiant and Winter Solace, which were released by HIP Records in 2004 and 2008. For up-to-date concert schedule, bookings, reviews and recording, please visit www.gracecloutier.com.