Johanna Wienholts is a harpist and creative artist celebrated for her authentic, expressive sound and joyful stage presence. A passionate educator, she currently serves on the string faculty at University of Wisconsin’s Mead Witter School of Music, and previously taught at Lawrence Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Johanna is the principal harpist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and performs regularly with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

Johanna also plays with Madison Opera and has been featured as a soloist on Wisconsin Public Radio. Beyond her roles as a soloist and orchestral musician, she is a sought-after performer for chamber music festivals, including the Green Lake Chamber Music Festival, Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society, and Willy Street Chamber Players. Her commitment to expanding the classical canon and performing new music is woven into all her projects. Recently, she recorded an album of Iranian folk songs with violinist Ava Shadmani and completed a transcription project with Angelica Hairston of Challenge the Stats, alongside Diné composer Connor Chee. Before settling in Madison in 2017, Johanna was a freelance harpist in New York City and Toronto, performing with ensembles across the United States and Canada.

Johanna holds a bachelor’s degree in classical harp performance from University of Toronto and a graduate degree in performance from Manhattan School of Music. She trained at Interlochen Arts Academy under Joan Holland, professor of harp at the University of Michigan. In Toronto, she studied with the renowned harpist Judy Loman, one of the last pupils of Carlos Salzedo.

In addition to her performance career, Johanna is a warm and generous harp teacher who leads with curiosity and a deep belief in each student’s unique musical voice. She embraces the challenges of the harp, an instrument with both glorious versatility and complexity. She draws daily inspiration from the opportunity to share her knowledge with the next generation of harpists.

When Johanna isn’t behind the harp, she immerses herself in her creative pursuits, sewing vibrant clothing, painting murals around her home, or picking vegetables from the garden with her husband and their rescue dog, Laney.