Biography

Katrina Szederkenyi was born in Winnipeg, Canada, and began studying harp in 2001 at the age of 12 in Vienna, where she was accepted for the Preparatory Course at the Vienna Music University after just one year of musical instruction. Receiving a prize at the 2002 Prima la Musica competition, she then won the first prize at the Prima la Musica competition for harp solo in 2004. Having completed high school at the age of 16, she began her studies for harp performance at the Music University in Vienna in 2005 and concluded her Bachelor of Music Degree in June 2009 with distinction. Continuing her studies at the Music Academy in Frankfurt, Germany with Prof. Francoise Friedrich, she completed her Performance Diploma with highest distinction June 2011. She is currently enrolled in the Soloist Diploma Course in Frankfurt.

In demand on the concert stage, she has performed chamber music in the Schubert-Saal of the Konzerthaus, Vienna, and performs with members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. As prize winner in 2007 for solo harp at the Musica Juventutis Competition, she had a solo performance at the Konzerthaus in Vienna.

As member of the Webern Symphony Orchestra, she has performed in the Musikverein under Pierre Boulez in 2007, as well as in June 2008 under Riccardo Muti. As a soloist, she performed the Mozart Concerto for Flute and Harp with the Franz-Schmidt Kammerorchester in 2007. Soon after, in July 2007, she was a prize winner at the Cardiff European Harp Competition. That same year in August, she took part at the Orchester Institut Attergau under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach. She also performs with the Vienna State Opera Orchestra.

October 2007 she was featured as a soloist at the Musikfestival “Con l’Arpa” in Cham, Germany. (reviews)
March 2008 saw her as a prize winner at the International Harp Competition of the Franz-Josef-Reinl Foundation. Since July 2008, she has been a featured artist for the ORF Talent Börse as a solo harpist. Performances 2009 included a solo recital in Milan, Italy, as soloist with the Südwestdeutsche Kammerorchester, Pierné Concertstück, (reviews) and a violin/harp duo concert in Ottobeuren, Germany. (reviews)

In 2010 she received a scholarship from the Ministry of Art and Culture in Austria. Later that year she received the 3rd prize at the International Harp Competition Felix Godefroid. In October 2011 she won the third prize at the Goldenharp International Harp Competition in St. Petersburg.

She is regularly invited to perform as a soloist with various orchestras, and has performed Gliere concerto, Pierné Concertstück, as welll as Mozart and Debussy numerous times. She was invited to perform Debussy Danses in Poland, and most recently was on tour in Germany with Mozart Concerto and Debussy Danses. (reviews) As a chamber musician, she has performed at the Rheingau festival, and as part of the "Wiener Saitenspiel Duo" at the World Harp Congress 2011 in Vancouver.

Master classes with Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Margit-Anna Süß, Judith Liber, Marielle Nordmann, and Erika Waardenburg have furthered her artistry.

Katrina Szederkenyi performs on a Salvi “Arianna”