Päivi Severeide
Harp
Päivi Severeide is the principal harpist of The Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and the university harp teacher at the Sibelius Academy University of Arts. Päivi Severeide is the artistic director and founder of the Helsinki Harp Festival and Helsinki Harp Competition which brings out harp and harpists in the wide range.
Severeide has studied at the Sibelius Academy and at the University of Music Freiburg mainly with Reija Bister and also with Arielle Valibouse and Sarah O’Brien.
Since her debut in 2004 as a young soloist of The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Päivi has played as a soloist with many Finnish orchestras like Finnish National Opera Orchestra, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Kymi Sinfonietta, Pori Sinfonietta and Oulu Symphony. She has given solo and chamber music concerts i.e in the Helsinki Festival, Kuhmo Chamber Music, Naantali Music Festival, Sysmän Suvisoitto and Gothenburg Harp Days. One of the last performances was the Finnish premiere of the Andrea Tarrodi’s harp concerto together with Lohja City Orchestra in the spring 2024. As an orchestra musician she has worked in Sweden and Norway i.e. Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Norwegian Opera Orchestra beside Finnish orchestras. Before winning the position in Turku Philharmonic she was substituting years as a principal harp at the Finnish National Opera Orchestra.
Beside the standard repertoire for harp Severeide regularly premieres new repertoire for harp and co-operates with composers and arrangers. Some of her projects is her recording of the Finnish music for flute, viola and harp as a member of her trio Ensemble Transparent with flutist Erica Nygård and violast Torsten Tiebout. Severeide is also a member of Avanti! Chamber Orchestra which has given her a wide repertoire and sight for the music of our time. She was lately selected as a principal harpist to the Vantaa Pops Orchestra. As a jury member Severeide has internationally worked for instance in Pratté-harp competition, and in the VDH-Verband Der Harfenisten - German harp competition and professional auditions.
Severeide’s harp students at the Sibelius Academy have been internationally successful in several auditions and competitions.