Ellen Foster

Harp

Ellen Heinicke Foster is a harpist and teacher in Atlanta, GA where she plays 2nd Harp for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Since 2014, she has been the  Adjunct Professor of Harp at Southern Adventist University. She is also Adjunct Professor of Harp at Truett McConnell University. Foster has a Bachelor of Music, Cum Laude, in Harp and Music Education from The Eastman School of Music. After teaching K-6 Music in Lawrence, Kansas public schools, she continued her harp studies, receiving a Master of Music in Harp Performance from University of British Columbia and an Artist Diploma from Yale University.  Her teachers include, Nancy Allen, Rita Costanzi and Eileen Malone.   

While a graduate student, she won the Concerto Competition at University of British Columbia and was Runner Up in the Concerto Competition during a summer at the Aspen Music Festival.   

Foster has performed throughout America, Canada and Europe as a soloist, accompanist and orchestra member. She has performed with the Vancouver Symphony, New Haven Symphony,  Connecticut Opera, Santa Barbara Symphony, Santa Barbara Opera, Atlanta Symphony, Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Boy Choir and the Georgia Boy Choir, as well numerous orchestras and choruses in the Southeast. She also performs regularly as part of the Feiner Musicke Duo with her husband, tenor, Mel Foster.  

As an educator, she has been a teacher and mentor for the Urban Youth Harp Ensemble, taught at The Carver Schools and is the Director of the Feiner Musicke Adult Harp Ensemble. Foster has been an active member of the American Harp Society and has served 3 terms as President for the Georgia Chapter.  

In addition, Foster and her husband have published three volumes of works for Voice and Harp. Two of the sets are songs of Claude Debussy and one is songs of Gabriel Faure. The Feiner Musicke Duo continues to transcribe and perform music not originally written for voice and harp. She can be heard on recordings with the Atlanta Symphony, Macon Symphony, Atlanta Boy Choir, Georgia Boy Choir and Feiner Musicke Duo.   

Foster is currently working toward her certification to be a Therapeutic Harp Practitioner which will allow her to provide prescriptive music to individual patients in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and hospice.