• John McColley, harp

    John McColley, harp

    • School: University of Tampa
    • Location: Tampa, Florida, USA

    John McColley’s playing has been described as “exciting and engaging,” and “eye opening to the sounds a player can extract from the harp”. Born and raised in the Tampa, John is the adjunct professor of Harp at the University of Tampa and Hillsborough Community College. Additionally, John is the Director of the Hillsborough County Public School Harp Program where he teaches over 50 harpists from fourth to twelfth grade. He is so grateful to be teaching, performing and bringing music he loves back to his amazing home state.

    Besides being a busy teacher, John is Principal Harpist with the St. Petersburg Opera Company and a freelance harpist; playing with many major orchestras, opera companies, and universities throughout the state. In the past John has played with Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and is the former principal harpist of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra and the Boulder Chamber Orchestra. John is also an avid chamber musician, specializing in the Flute, Harp, and Viola trio. His ensembles have played all over the United States to much acclaim, performing works like the Debussy Trio, Takemitsu's "And Then I Knew 'Twas Wind", Bernard Rand's "Prelude" and "...sans voix parmi les voix..." among many others. Currently, he is principal harp with The Barefoot Trio and Reflections Chamber Ensemble. This past season John was featured as a soloist with the University of Tampa Symphony Orchestra playing Debussy's harp concerto, "Danses sacrée et profane".

    John holds a Masters of Music from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Bachelors of Music from the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music where he studied with Janet Harriman and Jody Guinn, respectively. John is incredibly thankful for his community college beginnings at St. Petersburg College with harpist Anna Kate Mackle. As a life enthusiast John also enjoys painting with oils, collecting and drinking fine wines, cooking with his wonderful wife and soprano Paige Sentianin, walking his dog Wolfgang, and spreading love and happiness through his music.