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Lydia Clifton is a classically trained harpist who loves to teach all age groups and to perform for all types of events, such as weddings, funerals, church services, special dinners, and more in Louisville, Kentucky and the Southern Indiana area.  She began learning harp at age eight under the instruction of Lisa Spurlock Gilmore at the Louisville Harp Academy.  While studying with her for ten years, Lydia became a part of the Louisville Harp Academy Quartet.  The quartet performed around Louisville, including on radio station WUOL 90.5, as well as on television for Great Day Live.  She also attended the University of Illinois Summer Harp camp for seven years, where she was a part of masterclasses with Ann Yeung and performed in the attendees’ concerts.

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Lydia received her Bachelor of Music degree of Harp Performance from Ball State University under the instruction of Elizabeth Richter, as well as graduated from the Honors College during her time at Ball State.  She received first prize in the 2016 Jan Pennington Gray Harp Scholarship Competition.  In 2017, she performed with the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance in their production of Pride and Prejudice, as the sole live musician for the dances and background music of the play.  She also was the harpist for the 2018 production of The Nutcracker at Ball State University, in which the Ball State Symphony Orchestra and Department of Theatre and Dance collaborated.  Other opportunities with the Ball State Symphony Orchestra included several tours, including one in 2019 to Boston, Massachusetts for the national CODA conference.  While at Ball State, Lydia also had many opportunities to work with renowned harpists, such as Alice Giles, and performed with the Ball State Harp Ensemble.

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Lydia has performed in New Albany for the concert series at the library organized by the Kentuckiana Association of Musicians and Singers and has performed with the Louisville Civic Orchestra.  She is now a private harp teacher through the Southern Indiana Music Academy.  She has had experience in both the Salzedo and French techniques of harp performance throughout her years of learning and incorporates elements of both in teaching, depending on the needs of the student. When not performing, Lydia enjoys hiking and spending time with animals.