Licia is performing as a soloist on our Mozart & Tchaikovsky program on October 28 & 29! Don't miss your chance to hear her artistry on Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp.

Tickets available here.

Licia Jaskunas
Harp

Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Member of the Nashville Symphony since 1998

Licia Jaskunas has been the Principal Harpist with the Nashville Symphony since 1998. She has also been Principal Harpist with the New World Symphony and with the Utah Festival Opera Company. She has made several solo appearances with the Nashville Symphony and has soloed with the New World Symphony, the Louisville Symphony, and the Huntsville Symphony. She is a long-time member of the Alias Chamber Ensemble and is a participant in the local commercial recording industry. Her orchestral festival performances include the Tanglewood Music Center, the Spoleto Festival, the Pacific Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival and most recently, the Brevard Music Festival. She is a graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she was awarded a Performers Certificate, and she received a Master of Art degree from the Eastman School of Music. She is a previous winner of the advanced division of the American Harp Society’s national competition and of two Ruth Lorraine Close national fellowship awards in harp.

Why did you choose your instrument?

I was influenced to play the harp by my mother, who was an amateur harpist and by the presence of a pedal harp in my family home.

When did you know you wanted to pursue music as a career?
By age 16 I knew that I wanted to study music in college, but I didn't envision myself as an orchestral musician until I had played in orchestras at summer music festivals.

Where did you go to school and what degree(s) did you get?

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, B.A. and Performers Certificate

Eastman School of Music, M.A.

Who has inspired you most as a musician?

Susann McDonald, (now retired) Distinguished Professor of Harp at Indiana University was a very inspiring and influential teacher. She approached the technical demands of playing the harp with an emphasis on expression, lyricism, and warm sound

Who is your favorite composer, and what is your favorite piece by them?
I have several favorite composers. Some of my favorite pieces are "Four Last Songs" by Richard Strauss, "Suite from Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev, and "Introduction and Allegro" for harp, flute, clarinet, and string quartet by Ravel

What is the best piece you have performed in your career?
One particularly beautiful work that features the harp is the Adagietto movement from Mahler's 5th symphony. Harpists generally love to play any of the works of Ravel, Debussy, and Faure.

Where were you prior to your employment at the Nashville Symphony?
Most immediately prior to joining the Nashville Symphony, I played in the New World Symphony, which is a fellowship program for orchestral musicians in Miami Florida

How many instruments do you own, or have you owned over your lifetime?

I have 2 harps. One of these is the antique 3/4 size Lyon and Healy harp that my mother and I grew up with. The other is a Concert Grand Lyon and Healy harp, made in Chicago IL

What was the first concert you went to?

It was a harp ensemble concert at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, after which I said that I wanted to learn how to play the harp.

What is your favorite part of Nashville?

I love the parks. Some of my favorites are Warner Park, Radnor Lake, and Centennial Park. As a mother and someone who loves to read, I have been a big fan of the Nashville Public Library system.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Reading and hiking

Do you like sports? What is your favorite sports team?

Thanks to the interests of my 3 children, I have become a soccer fan. I like the U.S. Women's soccer team, the Belgian National Men's team, and Nashville Soccer Club

What is your favorite book?

No favorite, but during the shutdown I loved reading the Four Neopolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante