Bio

Ksenia Sushkevich was born in a small town in Belarus (Barysaw) and began playing the piano at age 4. At 13, she took up the harp, and by 16, she won an international competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. She entered college that same year under Professor Andres Izmailov (2012) and later continued her studies at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Honored Artist of Russia Anna Makarova (2015).

At 17, Ksenia won a major concerto competition and performed Reinhold Glière’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra at the Mariinsky Theatre. Throughout her career in Russia, she collaborated with renowned musicians, including Maestro Charles Dutoit, composer Sergei Slonimsky, Matsuev, and Anna Netrebko. She served as a substitute principal harpist with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra for several years and held principal harp positions with the Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, the St. Petersburg Youth Orchestra, the Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory.

In 2021, Ksenia relocated to Chicago on a scholarship to pursue a Master of Music degree at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, studying with Lynn Williams, principal harpist of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She continues her advanced studies at DePaul University School of Music under Julia Coronelli, principal harpist of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, while maintaining an active performance career.

Ksenia performs as a guest principal harp with prominent Chicago orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Joffrey Ballet, and Opera of Chicago.