Combining period and modern performance, violist Katie Yap’s love of music was fostered in the school music programs of her hometown Brisbane. She graduated from the University of Queensland with a University Medal, before studying at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne. She was a finalist in the 2019 Freedman Fellowship, and is pursuing the creation of her project HOME, which grew out of the desire to bring people together in harmony through music to think and talk about our home planet and its changing climate. HOME’s debut tour will occur in October 2021 in regional and metropolitan Victoria. She is also working on a collection of solo recordings of five modern works, in a project called In My Solitude – a reflection of a violist’s lockdown.
Katie’s bread-and-butter is performing: she plays with many of Australia’s top ensembles, including the Australian World Orchestra, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra, and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and she has joined groups like the Academy of Ancient Music overseas. Her great love is playing chamber music, and is a founding member of the Chrysalis Harp Trio and crossover gut string trio Wattleseed Ensemble. She has played chamber music tours with ensembles including the Australian String Quartet, Van Diemen’s Band, Ironwood Ensemble, and the Melbourne Chamber Players.
Her own creative projects combine modern and baroque chamber and folk music to tell stories, showcase the viola’s versatility and expressive voice, and address issues like climate change.
Katie is also passionate about education, and is currently the viola teacher at Monash University, as well as teaching at short courses like Young Mannheim Symphonists. In her spare time, she likes to explore a wide range of musical contexts, including folk music and improvising. She also has an infamous sweet tooth, which she appeases through her love of baking!
