Not long after beginning to play the harp at the age of eight, Olga Chapkevich was recognized as a child prodigy in her native city of Saint Petersburg, Russia. As a teenager, she took part in the prestigious International Harp Competition in the United States. Olga was also accepted into the Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, one of Russia’s finest music schools, where, after her demanding course of study, she was awarded a diploma with the designation of “Expert Harpist”.

Olga has since played in numerous orchestras throughout Russia, including the venerated Philharmonic Orchestra of Saint Petersburg. She has toured internationally as well, performing in Germany, Estonia, Finland, and Japan. She also has extensive theater experience, and performed as a soloist at the Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and played for the historic Mariinsky Theater, the home of arguably the finest opera and ballet companies in Russia. Additionally, Olga spent nearly 15 years at the Orchestra of Radio and Television of the Hermitage Theatre, where she played first harp.

In all, Olga has played for close to 1,700 ballets and operas in her career, including such classics as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and La Traviata. She has performed under such world-renowned conductors as Ennio Morricone and Fabio Mastrangelo.

Aside from her rigorous musical training, Olga has a deep love for high culture, and also earned a degree in philosophy from Saint Petersburg University. Thus, her playing is not only informed by her intense studies of her inspirations, such as Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Verdi, but also by a profound understanding of the intellectual, historical and cultural milieus which produced these great talents.

Despite her immense gifts and accomplishments as an artist, Olga remains humble and affable, with a disarming sense of humor. She regularly donates her time to charitable events throughout her native country, and performs in local venues such as churches and libraries, as well as in great concert halls. Nurturing her love of the harp and transmitting that to others remain her prime motivations for always working to perfect her craft.

“For me, it is important that I am always challenged and engaged in my music,” Olga says. “If I am passionate about what I do, then I believe my fellow orchestra members and the audience will feel and share this passion with me, too.”