About | Kaitlin Miller

Close portrait of Kaitlin Miller by the water

Long bio

From a first glissando to a national concert artist.

Kaitlin Miller’s journey with the harp began at the age of three, when she heard it featured in an interview on the bonus features of an animated film about Swan Lake. That early fascination became a life’s work: she now lives in Los Angeles as an active musician and teacher, sharing the instrument through orchestral, chamber, and solo performance.

She is an avid supporter of new music and frequently collaborates with composers to premiere works for the harp — including Ariel Sol’s harp concerto STRUM! with USC Thornton Edge. Whether in a symphony pit, a recital hall, or a private celebration, she treats the harp as both an orchestral color and a storytelling voice.

Career

Stages, studios, and the next generation.

Miller has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and Pasadena Symphony, as well as ensembles such as American Youth Symphony, California Young Artists Symphony, and Downey Symphony. She earned two Bachelor of Music degrees in harp performance and music theory from the University of North Texas, studying with Dr. Jaymee Haefner, and continued at USC Thornton with JoAnn Turovsky — first as a master’s student and teaching assistant, now as a doctoral candidate in harp performance.

In 2023 she won first prize in the Young Professional division of the 25th American Harp Society National Competition at the Colburn School. As AHS Concert Artist from 2023 to 2025, she gave recitals and masterclasses nationwide, carrying forward the same public teaching that once inspired her as an undergraduate. Fellowships at the Music Academy of the West in 2022 and 2023, the 2019 AHS in Dallas Scholarship Competition, the 2020 Anne Adams Awards, and the 2024 Frances Walton Competition (chamber ensemble) mark a career built on both competition rigor and collaborative generosity.

Beyond the concert circuit, Miller is passionate about teaching viable career paths for young harpists and about making the instrument more accessible — including a long-term vision for grant-supported harp education in underserved Los Angeles communities.

Accolades