faculty

Marcia LaBella – Harp & Piano Instructor.

Harpist and Pianist Marcia Labella debuted at age 17 as competition winner and soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  That summer she was invited to play with the CSO at Ravinia. Marcia  has over 22 years orf touring experience and 36 years of backstage and pit work with Lyric Opera of Chicago.  

Having worked as a professional harpist for 30 years. Marcia is the second harpist of the Lyric Opera and also serves as principal Harp for the Ravinia Festival in Chicago and Peninsula Festival, Door County, Wisconsin, where she has been soloist. She performed Le Corsaire with the American Ballet Theatre and has also performed numerous ballets with the AMT. Marcia has also served as principal harp with the Bolshoi, Kirov and Joffrey Ballets. Marcia has performed extensively with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is principal harp with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Marcia has performed with dozens of pop and jazz artists including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Sammy Davis Jr. She has always enjoyed staying active in teaching, playing chamber music and school outreach programs.

Marcia is the daughter of two music teacher instrumentalists and began her piano lessons at age six with Sister M. Charles Zieverink, OSF, renowned pedagogue and composer.  Her piano studies continued with Iris Zahara, protege of Leonard Bernstein.

Marcia has studied with Lynne Turner, Elizabeth Cifani, and Edward Druzinsky. Marcia received her Bachelors degree in Harp Performance from Northwestern University and received the Eckstein Prize for outstanding  performance. She is a member of the Chicago Musicians Union for Harp and Piano and has taught in the Summer institute at Northwestern University and has been a harp instructor in Oak Park and a harp instructor in River Forest and Glenbrook North and South High Schools.