Jill Whitman, MM
About
Jill Whitman has taught at WWU since 1997 and has had a prosperous harp career since then She received bachelor’s degrees in both German and harp from the University of Washington, and a master’s degree in music from WWU. She has performed with many ensembles such as the Seattle Symphony and Opera, Spokane Symphony, and the American Sinfonietta. She currently serves as principal harpist for the Whatcom and Yakima Symphonies, and is the founding member and arranger for the NOEL ensemble, a Celtic/Classic group featuring strings, flute, percussion, harps, and poetry. Ms. Whitman is also one of the few harp teachers trained in the Suzuki method.
At Western, Jill Whitman would like to broaden the scope of the harp program, and encourages both new students and those with previous harp experience to join. The school has a new Lyon and Heal pedal harp that is available for students to play. To her, it’s very important for her students to enjoy playing, as well as developing their skills and confidence with the instrument. She would especially like to help train students who are interested in playing in chamber, wind and orchestral ensembles. If you are interested in learning to play the harp at WWU, you can contact the school’s music office.