Vonda Darr is currently the principal classical harpist for the North Carolina Symphony. She has been the principal harpist for the Augusta Symphony Orchestra in Georgia since 1993 and was principal harpist for the Augusta Opera for twelve years. As part of the NCS, she participated in the inaugural SHIFT Festival for American Orchestras, performing in both the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institution. She has been a soloist with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra, the Wilson Symphony, the Lyra Vivace Chamber Orchestra, the Augusta Symphony String Quartet, the University of South Carolina Chamber Orchestra, and the Georgia Southern University Orchestra. She has also performed on the national tours of Broadway’s The King and I and Weird Al Yankovic’s Strings Attached tour.
Vonda is an active chamber and solo recitalist. She is a founding member of the Lyra Vivace Chamber Orchestra and performs as Duo Venandi with flutist Wendy Cohen. She performed with LACE (Living Art Collective Ensemble) at the National Gallery of Art in DC, has performed on the North Carolina Symphony Manning Chamber Series, and has been a frequent guest artist with Chamber Music Charleston. Vonda has also presented concerts for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival and for the American Harp Society National Conference.
Ms. Darr has recorded two solo harp CD’s, Prayers Without Words and Hear the Angels: A Christmas Collection. Duo Venandi’s debut CD Fantasie was released in January 2017, and has been featured on Public Radio in Georgia, Virginia, NC, and SC.