About Me
All photography by Natalie Gaynor.
Caitlin Mehrtens is a harpist based in Houston, TX. She has performed numerous times as a concerto soloist, most recently with the Akademisches Orchester in Leipzig, Germany at the Gewandhaus, and also with the National Repertory Orchestra, the Texas Music Festival Orchestra, the Ocean City Pops Orchestra, the Stars in the Classics Concert Series, the Oberlin Mozart Players, and the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia.
An avid supporter and performer of contemporary art, Caitlin is the Harpist and Marketing Manager for contemporary music ensemble Loop38. Before moving to Texas, Caitlin was also the Outreach Director and Harpist for “The Syndicate for the New Arts”, a Cleveland-based non-profit, for 4 years. She has toured, recorded, and premiered numerous works with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble under Maestro Timothy Weiss, and was heavily involved in the Performance Improvisation Program under renowned world percussionist, Jamey Haddad.
In addition to performing with many professional orchestras such as the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the Spokane Symphony, and the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Caitlin was the winner of the 2014 the First Prize and Audience Favorite awards in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition. In past summers she has participated in the National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, Texas Music Festival, Eastern Music Festival, Hot Springs Music Festival, and the Monteux School.
Caitlin graduated from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, achieving a Masters of Music in Harp Performance with Paula Page. Previously, she graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, achieving a Bachelor of Music degree in Harp Performance under Yolanda Kondonassis, and also a second Independent Major called “Communication through Multi-Cultural Music and Movement”.
Caitlin is also passionate about teaching the harp through private lessons; she currently teaches through the Certified Coaching program at Harp Mastery and her own private studio. Learn more about her teaching here! She grew up in Thornton, Pennsylvania with a very musical family and is so grateful to the role music has played in every aspect of her life.