Marcia Labella, Piano and Harp

Marcia Labella, recently appointed second harpist of Lyric Opera Orchestra, has been employed as a professional harpist in Chicago for 30 years. She is principle harp for Ravinia Festival in Chicago and Peninsula Festival, Door County, Wisconsin, where she has been a featured soloist. In April she performed Le Corsaire with American Ballet Theater. Other seasons with ABT have included performances of Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Firebird. Ms. Labella has also served as principle harp with Bolshoi, Kirov and Joffrey Ballets. Marcia has performed as an extra player with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra since she was 17 years old. She is principle harp with Chicago Jazz Orchestra and has toured with dozens of pop and jazz artists, some favorites including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Sammy Davis, Jr. She has always enjoyed staying active teaching, playing chamber music, school outreach programs and “jobbing” dates of every description.

Marcia’s teachers included Lynne Turner, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Elizabeth Cifani, Lyric Opera Chicago; Edward Druzinsky, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Northwestern University. Ms. Labella received her Bachelor’s Degree in Harp Performance from Northwestern University and received the Eckstein Prize for outstanding performance. She is a member of the Chicago Musician’s Union for Harp and Piano and has taught in the Summer Institute at Northwestern University and has been a Harp Instructor at Oak Park River Forest High School and Glenbrook North and South High Schools.