Louise Vickerman
Louise Vickerman, Principal Harpist of The Utah Symphony & Utah Opera since 1999 has been featured as soloist with the orchestra on a number of occasions, including the Utah premiere of Mark Adamo’s “Four Angels” where she was praised by the Salt Lake Tribune for her “powerful impassioned performance”. She has also appeared as soloist with the San Antonio Symphony, The Orchestra of St John’s Smith Square, on BBC & Norwegian National radio & at the Heidelberg Castle Festival in Germany. Prior to her appointment in Utah, she was Principal Harp for the San Antonio Symphony & The New World Symphony in Miami. Originally from Glasgow Scotland, she regularly appeared with all of Scotland’s major orchestras including The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony & Scottish Chamber Orchestra before moving to the USA. She has performed at major festivals worldwide including the Aldeburgh Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, BBC London Proms, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and The Grand Teton Music Festival, WY.
An active chamber musician, she has collaborated with violinist Cho-Liang Lin in recital at the Colorado Music Festival & has been regularly featured on the Nova Chamber music series in Salt Lake City. She gave the world premiere of “Awuya” for solo harp by the acclaimed British composer Sally Beamish, a work that was commissioned for her by Glasgow University and was an invited performer at the 11th World Harp Congress in Vancouver, BC. As a teacher Vickerman is currently on the faculty at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas & Westminster College, was interim Director of Harp Studies at Brigham Young University & formerly adjunct professor of harp at Weber State University. She has been recognized as one of North America’s leading orchestral harpists having been invited to share her expertise as a clinician throughout the USA & Europe which include presenting masterclasses at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, The New World Symphony, FL & as a member of the Premier Artist Faculty for the Salvi Harps Summer Institute in Anaheim, CA.
Ms. Vickerman is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where she earned her Master of Music degree as a student of Kathleen Bride. She received her BA & Certificate of Postgraduate Studies from Glasgow University & The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland studying with Sanchia Pielou & Karen Vaughan. She is a Salvi Harp Artist.
Louise is also a licensed commercial pilot with multi-engine, instrument, glider & UAS (certified drone pilot) ratings. She is a board member and the Northwest Region Ambassador for The Flying Musicians Association & is a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight West & PilotsN’Paws. She is also an assemblage artist creating artwork out of recycled items. One of her large scale pieces was featured in an installation at the 2022 Bombay Beach Biennale and she most recently exhibited at Core Contemporary Gallery, Las Vegas as part of the national juried show “Use Other Door”.
She is married to recently retired Utah Symphony trumpet player & current UNLV jazz faculty member Peter Margulies. They divide their time between their mid-century ranch home in Las Vegas & restored 1901 Victorian house in the East Liberty Park neighborhood of Salt Lake City.