Centerstage Kathryn Hoppe-McQueen

Kathryn Hoppe-McQueen

Huntsville harpist Kathryn Hoppe-McQueen has been playing for over 20 years, starting when she was in the 3rd grade. She grew up in a very close family where music was their center. Her mom was a choir director and music teacher, and her dad played clarinet. It was only natural for her to pick up a musical instrument. She has now designed her life and career around the harp and chorus: playing, performing, and teaching music in and around the Rocket City for the last 15 years. She currently teaches 6th grade choir with Huntsville City Schools and is a member of the music ministry at First Baptist Church, Huntsville where she directs 1st and 2nd grade choir. She also stays busy as the principal harpist with the Shoals Symphony Orchestra in Florence. Kathryn and her husband have four young sons and are following in the tradition of being a very musical family.

RH: Describe the moment you knew you wanted to make the commitment to being a harpist and what that felt like. What is it like to reflect on that moment now? KHM: I realized when I began to head to college that I wanted to continue my commitment to the harp. When I began taking lessons in Nashville, Tenn., with my teacher, Carol McClure, the harp became one of the biggest investments in our family’s lives – both monetarily and investments in time. Transitioning from high school to college, the bulk of that commitment transferred from my parents to myself and I felt the need to honor their prior commitment and all the hard work I had put into it. I have always sought to maintain a linear progression in both my skills and experiences as a harpist but compromised by staying in-state for college and doing my best to balance a commitment to the harp and also a desire to maintain a strong involvement in my church, family, and Huntsville community.

RH: Huntsville has been your home and supported your growth as an artist, performer, and teacher. What has that support looked like over the years from your city and community and how has that helped shape you? KHM: Huntsville is a significant part of my story. I have known since I was little that staying local in Huntsville was always one of my top priorities in life. My first musical experiences were all in Huntsville, I was involved in music at my church, First Baptist Huntsville, singing in the children’s and youth choirs, teaching children’s choir even as a middle and high school student, playing in the church orchestra, and playing solos in church services and for church events. The Huntsville Youth Orchestra was a big part of my orchestral education giving me opportunities to learn important orchestra repertoire. I have been involved with groups like Huntsville Opera Theatre, Ars Nova, and the Huntsville Community Chorus which have given me many important opportunities to play, learn, and grow as a harpist. Growing up in Huntsville which has such a rich arts community in its church, community, and professional organizations has given me opportunities, skills, and experiences that have been invaluable to my growth as a harpist, musician, and teacher.

RH: What’s on the horizon? KHM: Moving forward, I am always looking to grow and continue and want to learn new things. My sister is a vocalist, and I have been really interested in exploring a collaboration of harp and voice and maybe other instruments, performing pop, Broadway, classical, opera, and sacred music but in accessible ways and venues bringing the world of the harp to new places. I am very intrigued by the concepts of busking and getting involved in the local non-classical music scene. Adapting my harp to be able to have electroacoustic capabilities would open up a whole new avenue and allow me to develop skills in arranging and improvising I haven’t yet mastered.

To read the full story, visit www.eventhuntsville.com n