Kathy Burmeister
Katherine Burmeister obtained her Bachelor of Music degree in Harp Performance and Individual Teaching from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, where she studied under Ventura Rosenthal, Principal Harpist of the National Symphony Orchestra. She was the recipient of the Kathleen Alistair Harp Scholarship Award and the Abraham & Olga Lipman Scholarship.
Katherine has performed as a solo and ensemble musician in South Africa, Australia, and the USA, including the National Symphony and the Natal Philharmonic Orchestras in South Africa, and locally, the Symphony Pro Musica and Assabet Valley Mastersingers.
Katherine is an active freelance performer in the New England area, where she enjoys collaborating with other musicians. Engagements include weddings, church worship services, and musical theatre productions. Katherine is a member of the American Harp Society and joined Deborah Henson-Conant’s online ‘Hip Harp Academy’ in 2020. She also has connections with the New England Piano Teacher’s Association and enjoys learning from their special speaker series.
With around 30 years of experience as a music instructor, Katherine has taught students of all ages and levels, including toddler and preschool early childhood music classes. Her private students have done very well in the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music’s practical and theory exams, and her harp students have participated in school and youth orchestras, including Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute.
As a parent, Katherine draws from her own experience of observing and supporting her (now grown) children’s unique musical journeys and education. Her teaching philosophy is that learning to play an instrument requires hard work and discipline. She believes that students should have fun as they master the necessary skills to become well-rounded musicians. Ultimately, her goal is to instill in her students a lifelong love, appreciation, and respect for all genres of music.
Katherine joined the Joy of Music faculty in 2023.