Ellie Yamanaka

Ellie Yamanaka (she/her) is a freelance harpist from Seattle, Washington. She earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from the University of Texas at Austin, and then returned to Seattle where she has performed with ensembles around Washington state as an acoustic and electric harpist. She is currently principal harp of Everett Philharmonic, Great Falls Symphony, and a member of The Sound Ensemble.

As a freelancer, she has performed with many ensembles, including Auburn Symphony, Bremerton WestSound Symphony, Everett Chorale, Federal Way Symphony, Northwest Mahler Festival, Olympia Symphony, Orcas Choral Society, Philharmonia Northwest, Port Angeles Symphony, Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra, Rainier Symphony, Seattle Festival Orchestra, Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, Songs of Black Folk Orchestra, Spokane Symphony, Symphony Tacoma, Tacoma City Ballet Orchestra, Tacoma Opera, Theatre Battery, and Yakima Symphony.

Ellie is passionate about environmental and climate justice, and whenever possible curates her creative output with a desire to create experiences that bring together music and environmentalism. She also works in environmental conservation, as the Communications Manager at Birds Connect Seattle.