Biography

Katryna Tan, STM

MM(Harp), BIArch(Hons.1), FTCL(Harp), LTCL(Harp)

Awarded the prestigious national Young Artist Award 2005 by the National Arts Council of Singapore holds a Masters of Music degree in Harp Performance from the University of Michigan, USA. She is currently based in Singapore and Malaysia. Katryna held multiple roles in her harp career and her contributions has changed the landscape for harp in the region’s music scene tremendously. Just recently she was awarded the prestigious “Setiawan Tuanku Muhriz” (STM) title by the Ruler of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

As a child, Katryna had the wonderful opportunity to learn the piano, violin, Chinese instruments “erhu” and guzheng” and finally the Harp as her third Western Instrument. In an environment where this instrument was hardly known at that time, much less find a teacher, Katryna’s passion for the harp did not falter. In school holidays she used to travel six hours from Malaysia to Singapore to learn from the orchestra harpist then. When she was in Sydney pursuing a degree in Architecture, her rare free time was spent studying the harp and performing in orchestras and concerts in Sydney. Always torn between two careers and interest, it was not until she has completed her Degree in Interior architecture and practiced in the field for two years, that she decided to pursue the path of a Harpist and Musician. Katryna’s harp journey has been greatly influenced by Ulpia Erdos (Australia), Prof Emeritus Lynne Aspnes (USA) and Isabelle Moretti (France).

Since then, Katryna’s music career has taken her from orchestra playing, to concert soloist, chamber musician, international recognized Harp teacher and educator, festival director and producer of harp musicals!

As a Harp Recitalist, Katryna has performed several recitals internationally and in the region. Katryna was invited by the New South Wales Harp Society to perform in the Government House (2004), performed in the Adelaide Harp Festival 2006, 2012 and her 2007 engagements include concerts in France and the States. She has also performed in Japan, Hong Kong and Macau. Katryna has appeared as guest soloists with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Armed Forces Band, Braddell Heights Symphony Orchestra to mention a few. She was also guest soloist with the renowned King’s College Choir from England and Dingyi Chinese Chamber Orchestra. Katryna has also performed with prestigious orchestras in the region including Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra, Macau Orchestra and Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (Taiwan).

Katryna is a keen supporter of Asian and contemporary music. She regularly plays and commissions works by Asian composers. In addition, she also composes and arranges music for the harp. In a solo recital in 2005, Katryna premieres her own composition—“ Water Dance”, inspired by an Ancient Chinese instrument guqin. Her latest works include “Jiang Jin Jiu” and “Sketches”. In 2007, she presented her works internationally in concert in Paris and in Washington under the Embassy Series.“Water Dance” was nominated in the category of Best Original Compositions in the 5th Cameronian Arts Awards in Malaysia. Katryna’s compositions has also been performed in the prestigious World Harp Congress 2011, Canada.

Besides Solo works, Katryna enjoys performing chamber music and has a great reputation as an inspirational Harp Teacher.

Katryna’s collection of albums include “Water Dance”, “Harp On”, “Moments” (Harp and Cello) and “A Little Light Music” (Harp and Flute), “I-Sis Trio: Passion” and “La Noche” (Harp and Flute).

Katryna also wrote a book “Unleash the Musician in You” sharing her teaching thoughts with music students.