Grace Browning is a leading American harpist known for her captivating stage presence, expressive multi-platform storytelling and commitment to fostering the next generation of artists.
She currently serves as Principal Harp of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Santa Fe Opera, following previous tenure with The Dallas Opera and a three-year fellowship at the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida. An active guest principal, Grace has performed with many of the country’s leading orchestras—including the Chicago Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, and The Metropolitan Opera—and has appeared as a soloist with the Omaha Symphony, New World Symphony, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, and Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a passionate teaching artist, Grace is dedicated to nurturing students and professionals in finding their authentic voice in performance and in life. Currently serving as artist-faculty at Nazareth College and the Eastman Community Music School, she has given masterclasses at both of her alma maters, The Juilliard School & the University of Michigan School of Music, as well as Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Curtis SummerFest, and the New World Symphony. Her pedagogy is shaped by extensive Suzuki training and Creative Ability Development (C.A.D.) by Alice Kanack, focusing on child-led learning, improvisation, and group performance practice. Most recently, Grace earned a Well-Being Coaching Certification from the Chopra Institute, integrating mindfulness, somatic awareness, and purpose-driven performance tools into her teaching and mentorship.
Beyond the concert hall, Grace is a curator, collaborator, and creator actively creating inclusive and inspiring spaces for audiences to engage meaningfully with classical music. She co-founded Chamber Music at San Miguel Chapel with opera cohort, Patricia Zuber, in Santa Fe, New Mexico–an annual series dedicated to connection, accessibility, and historic preservation. In Rochester, she serves as President of the local American Harp Society chapter, shaping events, concerts, and educational opportunities for harpists of all ages. Grace also performs widely with her partner in music and life, cellist Benjamin Krug, as the Browning–Krug Duo, sharing genre-bending repertoire with audiences across the country. Previously in Dallas, she co-founded the Dallas Harp Quartet, commissioning new arrangements & compositions for the diverse outreach ensemble in the Southwest. Her digital and media work includes several viral videos on her Instagram channel of 10K followers, @thegracefulharpist, and eight episodes of WXXI’s “Harpy Hour” aired live during the pandemic.
Grace holds degrees from The Juilliard School (M.M. ‘11), where she studied with Nancy Allen, following the University of Michigan (B.M. ‘09) with formative studies at the Eastman School of Music. She performs on Lyon & Healy Style 23 and Style 85-CG harps, and resides happily in Rochester, New York, with her husband and their son, Ernie.