“The quartet that put harp quartets on the map” - Harp Column Magazine

Founded in 2012, the Chicago Harp Quartet has established itself as the leading harp ensemble in the United States. The Quartet brings its signature mix of original transcriptions of Baroque, Classical and Romantic repertoire and new works by the world’s leading composers. The Quartet is dedicated to  presenting innovative and charismatic programs to stages and audiences of all sorts. Every CHQ performance is a unique experience, bringing together the four members’ extensive and diverse solo careers and their combined dedication to sharing the excitement of the harp quartet literature.

The Chicago Harp Quartet has performed at major concert venues across the US and abroad including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Ravinia Festival, Curtis Institute of Music and the National Theater in Havana, Cuba. The Quartet has collaborated with artists including Third Coast Percussion, the International Chamber Ensemble, Duo Scorpio, Mozawa, and Ho Etsu Taiko.

The Quartet is devoted to educating its audiences and reaching students of all disciplines. CHQ is sought after for masterclasses and educational residencies (recently at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, New York University, Vanderbilt University and Play On Philly!) and continues to inspire young harpists through their work with the Chicago Harp Ensemble.

CHQ is featured frequently on WFMT Chicago (98.7FM) and has performed for the Lyon & Healy 150th Anniversary Festival and 2015 Summer Concert Series, 41st National Conference of the American Harp Society in New Orleans, Norton Building Series, Dame Myra Hess Concert Series at the Chicago Cultural Center and Ear Taxi Festival.

Among ongoing commissioning projects, the Quartet has premiered works by Bernard Andres, Nicholas Davies, Alfredo Rolando Ortiz, Carolyn O'Brien, and Hilary Purrington.  In 2014, the Quartet released their highly successful debut CD, Soirées d'été and in 2018 their second disc, Dance Sketches.

Praised for her “impressive virtuosity and eye-opening versatility" by Limelight Magazine, harpist Emily Granger performed as a soloist with the Flinders Quartet, Nexas Saxophone Quartet, and Sarah Blasko and as guest Principal Harp with the Chicago, Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Orchestra Victoria and Opera Australia Orchestra.

Upcoming engagements include an invitation to perform at Extended Play New Music Festival at City Recital Hall, a return to the Craven Creek Music Festival, premiering a new opera by Elliot Gyger and the Sydney Chamber Opera, and performances with the Omega Ensemble and Hourglass Ensemble at the Sydney Opera House. 

She earned her Bachelor of Music from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music where she studied with Susann McDonald, and her Masters of Music from the Chicago College of the Performing Arts studying with Principal Harp of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sarah Bullen.

Praised for her “especially fine contributions” and “standout solo work”, Eleanor Kirk is Principal Harpist with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. She also served as acting principal harp with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra for the 2022-2023 season, and as acting principal harp with the Detroit Opera for their 2023-2024 season. Eleanor was Principal Harpist with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago from 2018-2022, and frequently performs as a guest with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and St Louis Symphony Orchestra. She also played with the Santa Fe Opera as guest principal harpist for their 2024 season.

Chamber music highlights from the past years include appearances on the Rush Hour and Dame Myra Hess concert series, which were featured on Chicago’s classical music radio station, WFMT. An active soloist, Eleanor performed concertos with the Bach Week Festival Orchestra and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in their 2021-2022 seasons. With degrees from Columbia University, and Chicago College of Performing Arts, Eleanor is a dedicated educator, serving as harp faculty at The Peoples Music School and the Young Artist’s Harp Seminar. Her students have received top honors at the Greater Chicago Chapter of the American Harp Society Competition, the Illinois American String Teachers Association Concerto Competition, and the Midwest Harp Festival Competition.

Eleanor is a founding member of 5th Wave Collective, a Chicago based classical music ensemble dedicated to the performance and promotion of music by womxn, where she works as development director.

Catherine Yom Litaker is an avid soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician.  Catherine is the Principal harpist with the San Luis Obispo Symphony Orchestra and has performed with many orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Symphony, Ars Viva Symphony, Dubuque Symphony and Quad City Symphony Orchestra.  Festival appearances include tours of South America and China with the YOA Orchestra of the America and Pacific Music Festival (Japan). She has made multiple television appearances including on Fox’s hit television series, Empire.

A native resident of San Diego, CA, Catherine grew up playing the harp and piano from a young age. Catherine went on to receive her Bachelor's degree in Harp Performance from Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music where she studied with Susann Mcdonald with a minor in History.  She then moved to Chicago to earn her Master's degree from Roosevelt University, Chicago College of Performing Arts, where her teacher and mentor was Sarah Bullen, Principal Harpist of Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  

Catherine currently performs as a freelance harpist in the Los Angeles area. When she is not performing she is spending time with her husband and family which now includes two young sons and a moody terrier puppy.

Julie Spring serves as Director of Orchestras at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. Through her 12 years of teaching in the public schools, she has enjoyed working with a variety of ages and levels of experience. Her educational philosophy is that there is always a new opportunity for growth and deeper understanding. Julie maintains a private harp studio with a focus on technical development, effective practice and preparation, and artistic independence - additionally serving as Adjunct Harp instructor at Concordia University Chicago and College of DuPage for the last eight years.

An accomplished orchestral harpist, Ms. Spring held the position of Principal Harp with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. As a freelance musician, she has performed with many of the nation’s leading ensembles, including guest principal appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other Chicagoland orchestras such as Elgin, Rockford, and Northern Indiana Symphonies.

Ms. Spring earned her Bachelor of Music magna cum laude and Performer’s Certificate in Harp from the Eastman School of Music, and her Master of Music summa cum laude in Orchestral Studies from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Her principal teachers include Sarah Bullen, former Principal Harp of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Kathleen Bride, former Professor of Harp at the Eastman School of Music.

Julie’s son, Dax, is a harp-roadie-in-training and a musician in his own right, studying collegiate-level piano literature and playing string bass in the Chicago Youth Orchestra program. In 2024, Julie and Dax premiered “Petite Sweet,” a suite of pieces for harp and double bass written for them by Lee Kesselman. Outside the stage, you can find them working on 6000+ piece Lego sets or riding thrill coasters at Cedar Point in the summer.