Biography:

 

Sara Cutler, called “dazzling” by the Washington Post, is Principal Harp with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, as well as the Westchester Philharmonic. She has appeared as concerto soloist at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland and the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. In addition to performing the standard concerto repertoire, she has premiered and commissioned many 20th Century concertos, such as the Concerto: Cold, Silent Snow by American composer Elizabeth Larsen and Gian-Carlo Menotti’s Cantilena and Scherzo for harp and string orchestra. In 2012, she premiered Michael Torke’s harp concerto Wild Grass, which was written for her.

 

For many years, Ms. Cutler collaborated with flutist Linda Chesis in the Chesis/Cutler Duo. The New York Times called their playing, “gorgeously fluid” and the Times of London praised the “sweet touch of sparkle and class that was to pervade ”their debut recital at London’s Southbank Centre. Their debuts in Tokyo at the Asahiseimei Hall and in Paris at the Comedie de Champs-Elysees were both sold-out. As a soloist and with Ms. Chesis, Ms. Cutler has performed around the world, appearing in recital in Tokyo, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, and New York. A participant in the Bard Festival in upstate New York since its inception,

she appears there every summer as a soloist and chamber musician. She has also appeared at dozens of other summer festivals including the Tanglewood, Ravinia and Cooperstown Chamber Music Festivals.

 

Among her many recordings are the Concertino for Harp and Chamber Orchstra by Ernö Dohnányi, with the American Symphony Orchestra (Bridge

Records); an all Debussy CD with Ms. Chesis, (Masters/Carlton Classics, London); with the Smithsonian Chamber players (BMG Classics), and a Christmas CD with soprano Jessye Norman (Philips). Her latest CD, released in 2015 and including 2 major works for harp and choir, was recorded with the Boy’s Choir of St. Thomas Church, NY (Resonus Classics, 10158) and was chosen Album of the Week upon its release by the Times of London. She can also be heard on many recordings as the harpist with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra. She has recorded with many non-classical artists as well, including Pat Metheny, Paul Simon and Bjork.

 

In 2013, Ms. Cutler’s method book, written as an homage to her late teacher, Lucile Lawrence, was published by Lyon and Healy Books. A Yale College graduate, with a degree in Classics, she is on the faculty of the Bard College Conservatory and is an Executive Board Officer of Local 802 of the American

Federation of Musicians.