Thank you for considering my harp music for your special event! I would love to bring the beauty of the harp to your special event!! I am available for weddings, showers, tea parties, art galleries, corporate events, funerals, birthday parties, and other special events throughout the Chicago area and northern Illinois and I have been performing since 2000. (**I also offer Virtual Music performances, during this unprecedented time.**) My repertoire ranges in style and includes Classical, Celtic, American Jazz Standards, Show tunes, Movie themes, and Modern pop/rock.
Wishing you Health and Happiness,
~Nichole Young
Nichole played at my wedding during cocktail hour and at the ceremony, and she brought so much joy and such beautiful music to the space! Nichole's existing repertoire is extensive and she is extremely accommodating to requests. She was able to play all of our requested tracks and it brought such a personal touch to the ceremony. Everyone at the event loved her performance. Nichole is professional, organized, and a pleasure to work with. If you are looking for a beautiful addition to your event, look no further!
My event was made perfect by Nicole‘s beautiful music. She’s very friendly, personable and extremely talented. She made my event a complete success and everyone let me know how much they enjoyed her music.
Nichole was fantastic. We are so grateful we had her at our event. Thank you so much for your beautiful performance!
Nichole is so friendly, sweet and talented. Her harp music was a beautiful, romantic addition to our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. She worked with us to create a list of songs and was so easy to work with. We’d recommend her to anyone!!!
Nichole was amazing I would definitely recommend her to anyone that was in search of a harpist! I loved everything about her, she was on point with everything. I would love to book her again for any up coming event!!
Nichole was super accomodating and played beautifully! She was very helpful in helping me pic a selection of songs that fit the moment and the crowd.
Highly recommended!
Photos from this event
My daughter‘s wedding was a dream come true thanks to the amazing talent of Nichole! Nichole was a pleasure to work with from the beginning of our booking till the wedding day! She has wonderful communication skills and superb ideas for all the music! My daughter especially loved the fact that Nichole knew contemporary songs i.e. Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift! Nichole is a beautiful woman inside and out and looked absolutely fabulous as she played her gorgeous harp! Our guests were blown away and impressed with Nichole’s talent and skill with the harp! Thank you Nicole for your hard work, talent and effort put into making our daughter‘s wedding one to be remembered! Xx The Maton/ Bjork wedding 08.28.2021
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Thank you for your kind review, Kelley!! It was so lovely to work with you and to play for your daughter's gorgeous wedding!! It was such a joy to be a part of this special moment in time and to share my music with your family and friends.
We hired Nichole to play at our very small / very intimate wedding celebration and she was the BEST.
Her repertoire is large and diverse, and she was able to accommodate all of our selections! She's very easy going and working with her was a breeze!
The guests LOVED the harp music, and were all thrilled we had her there to play on our special day.
Thanks Nichole!!
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Thank you so much, Anthony! I was thrilled to be a part of your special day!! Congrats to you and Patrick!!
I wrote the Flute-Viola-Harp trio "Sandcat Lullaby" as a surprise birthday gift for my wife. Nichole arranged for her friends (Jennifer Gosack-Darwell, Flute; Colleen Kuraszek, Viola) to join her, and handled all the logistics.
Normally we would have invited them to our home, but circumstances dictated a remote performance. All the same, Nichole, Jen and Colleen dressed for the concert hall – just one more mark of their all-around professionalism. Their enthusiasm for the piece is greatly appreciated, and their performance was excellent; all that a composer could wish for. My hope is that someday we can arrange for a high-quality recording for release.
So it was a joyous event! I’m recommending Nichole, Jen and Colleen without reservation. I’d work with any of them again, anytime. Each of them will enhance any event you can conjure. I hope we will have other occasions to work together.
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Thank you, Greg!! We absolutely adore your piece for Harp, Flute, & Viola and it was such an honor to be the first musicians to debut it. Performing your piece for you and your wife was the absolute highlight of my month. Thank you, thank you, thank you for trusting us with your piece and for the opportunity to be a part of this special birthday gift for your wife!
Nichole was phenomenal, was a true professional and talent. She performed for our 10th wedding anniversary, great mix of music available. Could not have had anyone better to make it such a special event.
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Thank you so much, Mike!! It was an honor to play the harp for your lovely wife and family!!
Nichole is a total professional and one I would reccomend for any event. She is responsive, flexible, punctual, sounded amazing and overall a complete joy to work with. She was able to accomadate specific requests and executed them flawlessly. Im not exagerating when I say most of our guests have commented on the harpist. If you are looking for a graceful, elegant professional musician for your next event, you should highly consider Nichole Young. Simply put, you and your guests will love the vibes she brings to the experience.
Thanks for making our big day so special!
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Thank you so much for your kind compliments!! It was such a joy working with you and Chrissy for your Virtual Zoom Wedding. I love how you both created such a fun and memorable occasion during these unusual times and I am so honored to have been a part of it. It was an absolute pleasure!!! Congratulations and best wishes to you both!!
Nichole was amazing. The harp was so beautiful and she played through getting stung by a bee. We didnt even know anything had happened until after the ceremony when she made a joke. Highly recommend Nichole for any event that you want to bring some magic to.
Very talented and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed her.
Nichole played beautifully at my son's wedding. She was very nice and professional. She was very accommodating to our needs and our last minute decisions. She added a touch of elegance to the ceremony. We were very grateful that she offered her harp for us to use for pictures. I would definitely recommend her for your special event.
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Hi Grace, thank you so much for your review! It was an absolute pleasure to work with you and to be a part of your son’s wedding! Congratulations and all the best to you and your family!!
~Nichole
It was such a pleasure having Nichole play at our wedding ceremony. She was very accommodating and took the stress out of having to plan the ceremony music. Her music was beautiful and gave our wedding the elegant feeling that we were hoping for.
Great performance! On time, professional, beautiful music. Highly recommend!
Nichole did such an amazing job at my outdoor ceremony! Her notes were flawless and she is a true professional! Even though it was outdoors you could hear everything perfectly. I would hire Nichole again and again if I could. Thank you for making our day incredibly special!!
Love, Adam & Margarita
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Thank you, Margarita! It was a pleasure being a part of your special day!
All the best,
~Nichole
Nichole played the harp for our daughter's birthday party and she did a phenomenal job. She arrived early for set up and was very clear with what we would need. She took my kid's requests and learned new songs just for the event. We would book her again in a heart beat.
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Thank you, Nisha! I really enjoyed meeting you and your family and being a part of your daughter's birthday! It was such a fun event! Thank you for having me!!
What a beautiful & elegant touch at our daughters wedding! Family and friends were so impressed with Nichole and expressed that it was like a fairly tale wedding. She is very professional and played like an Angel.
Thank you Nichole, you added that extra special touch that we were looking for!
Debbie Glasgow
I knew Nichole would be an amazing harpist from what I saw on her website, but she was extremely professional and easy to work with. She always responded to my emails and answered my many questions, as well as made suggestions of music choices since I was unsure of what I wanted her to play. I would definitely suggest her to anyone looking for a harpist for their event!
Nichole is absolutely amazing! Not only did she look and sound stunning, she was able to give us the personalized music we were looking for during our wedding ceremony. During the planning process, Nichole was always quick to respond and was incredibly accommodating of the special songs we requested her to play. If you are looking for a harpist for any event, I would absolutely recommend Nichole! She is phenomenal.
Response from Nichole Young, Harpist:
Thank you, Mallory!!
It was a pleasure working with you and playing the harp at your wedding!!!
Congratulations and best wishes,
~Nichole
Price Range: $300 and up
Gig Length: 60 - 240 minutes
Languages: English
Unions: AFM
Thank you for considering me to be a part of your special event! Each event is an opportunity for me to bring creativity and elegance to life. I love working with prospective clients in customizing music lists and creating an atmosphere that signifies the client's personality or tastes. People choose the harp not only because it is beautiful to hear, but also to see. I understand that the visual aesthetic is as important as the sound, so I am always professionally dressed in appropriate attire for the event and I always consider how the harp looks within the space while setting up.
Nichole’s love for the harp and her stellar performances have made her one of the most highly sought-after harpists in Chicago and northern Illinois. She specializes in performing for special celebrations, helping to create a soundscape that enhances the moment, creating a moment in time that will be remembered forever. She also performs regularly with many orchestras throughout Illinois and Iowa—and she is the principal harpist for the Peoria Symphony and the DuPage Symphony, respectively.
As an orchestral musician, Nichole has had the opportunity to perform with Itzhak Perlman, Audra McDonald, Joshua Bell, the Celtic Women, Van Dyke Parks, & Lisa Vroman, amongst others.
Nichole has received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Harp Performance, at Northern Illinois University and at Northwestern University, studying with acclaimed Elizabeth Cifani, the former principal harpist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Nichole is an active teacher and is the harp instructor at Fox River Academy of Music and Art in Oswego, IL, the Chicago Academy for the Arts in Chicago, IL, and also at North Central College in Naperville, IL. She loves passing along her passion for the harp while guiding others.
As a highly-talented and exquisitely trained harpist, what Nichole loves best about performing is creating a sacred space, together with her audience, to share a moment in time and transcend beyond the burdens and cares of the outside world. Her biggest passion is using the harp to create an energy that allows the spirit of celebration to be enhanced and remembered for a lifetime.
Through her light-filled performances, Nichole hopes to share her love of music and create special moments, transforming the energy and inviting the celebratory spirit, for each event she performs.
Things to consider when having harp music for your event:
1. Is the venue/performance space handicap accessible? The harp is quite large and cumbersome to move(6feet tall and 85 pounds), so flights of stairs or long walks through grassy areas can be quite difficult. Please let me know if there are any difficult moving situations.
2. Does the venue have any specific rules for load in procedures? Must I use a loading dock?
3. Will your event be held outdoors? If so, please keep in mind that the harp is quite fragile and can not handle extreme temperatures or any precipitation. (65 - 85 degrees is the ideal temperature range.)
4. If your event will be held outdoors, do you have a back-up plan indoors in case of inclement weather?
5. If your event will be held outdoors, the harp should be placed on a flat surface and in a shady area. A flat surface is wood or concrete. If you event will be held in a grassy lawn, then a piece of plywood 4ft by 6 ft should be provided for the ground.
| August 04, 2024 • 1:00pm - 2:30pm | Cocktail Party |
| April 20, 2024 • 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Wedding Reception |
| June 23, 2023 • 6:30pm - 8:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| June 10, 2023 • 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| March 04, 2023 • 11:30am - 1:00pm | Baby Shower |
| September 21, 2022 • 8:00am - 9:00am | Corporate Event |
| June 04, 2022 • 6:00pm - 6:45pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| October 23, 2021 • 9:30am - 10:30am | Wedding Reception |
| September 19, 2021 • 3:30pm - 4:30pm | Surprise |
| August 28, 2021 • 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| March 20, 2021 • 4:00pm - 5:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| January 27, 2021 • 7:00pm - 7:15pm | Birthday Party |
| December 06, 2020 • 2:00pm - 3:30pm | Birthday Party |
| September 11, 2020 • 6:30pm - 7:30pm | Restaurant/Bar Event |
| August 16, 2020 • 2:00pm - 2:30pm | Anniversary Party |
| April 25, 2020 • 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| September 21, 2019 • 4:00pm - 6:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| September 14, 2019 • 12:00pm - 1:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| July 12, 2019 • 7:00pm - 8:30pm | Corporate Event |
| June 01, 2019 • 11:00am - 12:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| November 24, 2018 • 5:30pm - 6:15pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| November 24, 2018 • 1:00pm - 3:30pm | Children's Birthday Party |
| October 06, 2018 • 11:00am - 1:00pm | Anniversary Party |
| September 23, 2018 • 4:00pm - 5:00pm | Wedding Reception |
| August 19, 2018 • 2:00pm - 3:30pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| November 17, 2017 • 12:00pm - 12:45pm | Cocktail Party |
| September 09, 2017 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| June 04, 2017 • 5:00pm - 6:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| May 21, 2017 • 10:00am - 12:00pm | Birthday (Child) |
| December 18, 2016 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Birthday (Adult) |
| July 23, 2016 • 5:00pm - 5:45pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| June 23, 2016 • 4:00pm - 7:00pm | Corporate Event |
| May 27, 2016 • 4:00pm - 4:30pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| May 14, 2016 • 6:00pm - 6:30pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| April 22, 2016 • 6:00pm - 11:00pm | Wedding Cocktail Hour |
| March 06, 2016 • 12:00pm - 2:00pm | Bridal Shower |
| January 16, 2016 • 5:00pm - 6:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
| November 28, 2015 • 7:30pm - 10:30pm | Holiday Party (Other) |
| June 13, 2015 • 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Wedding Ceremony |
Repertoire List:
Classical Music(Includes Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modern, etc)
J.S. Bach ((phone number hidden)0):
Air on the G String/J.S. Bach
Arioso/J.S Bach
Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring/J.S. Bach
Minuet in G/J.S. Bach
Musette/J.S. Bach
Prelude in C from the "Well-tempered Klavier"/J.S. Bach
Prelude in G from the cello suite/J.S Bach
Sleepers Wake/J.S. Bach
Fur Elise/L. Beethoven
Ode to Joy/Beethoven
Theme from Pathetique Sonata/Beethoven
Trumpet Tune "The Prince of Denmarks March" /Jeremiah Clarke
Clair de lune/Debussy
First Arabesque/Debussy
Reverie/ Debussy
Flower Duet from the opera "Lakme"/L. Delibes
Air from "The Water Music"/G.F. Handel
Hornpipe from "The Water Music"/G.F.Handel
Meditation from "Thais"/J. Massanet
Carolans Concerto /Turlough O'Carolan
Canon in D Major/J. Pachelbel
Ground in F Major/H. Purcell
Trumpet Voluntary/H. Purcell
Musetta's Waltz from the opera "La Boheme"/G. Puccini
Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini/S. Rachmaninoff
The Swan from Carnival of the Animals /C. Saint-Saens
Gnoissiene No. 1,2,& 3 /E. Satie
Gymnopedie No. 1, 2, & 3/E. Satie
Opening Theme from Piano Concerto No. 1/ Tchaikovsky
Ave Maria /F. Schubert
Autumn: Mvmnt 1 / "The Four Seasons" Op. 8/A. Vivaldi
Autumn: Mvmnt 3 / "The Four Seasons" Op. 8/A. Vivaldi
Spring : Mvmnt 1/ "The Four Seasons" Op. 8/ A. Vivaldi
Winter: Mvmt 2 /"The Four Seasons" Op. 8/ A. Vivaldi
Bridal March from Lohengrin /R. Wagner
American Standards (think Big Band, Jazz, Frank Sinatra):
All The Things You Are / Oscar Hammerstein
All The Way / James Van Heusen
As Time Goes By / Herman Hupfield
Bewitched / Hart & Rodgers
Body And Soul / John Green
Embraceable You / George Gershwin
Everybody Loves Somebody / Ken Lane
Fascinating Rhythm / George Gershwin
Fly Me To The Moon / Bart Howard
I Get A Kick Out Of You / Cole Porter
I Only Have Eyes For You / Harry Warren
I Want to be Happy / Vincent Youmans
Just In Time
Misty / Erroll Garner
Moonglow / Will Hudson
Moonlight Serenade / Glenn Miller
Nature Boy / Eden Ahbez
Night and Day / Cole Porter
On The Sunny Side of the Street / Jimmy McHugh
Over the Rainbow / Harold Arlen
Someone To Watch Over Me / George Gershwin
S'Wonderful / George Gershwin
Summertime / George Gershwin
Take Five / Paul Desmond
Tenderly / Jack Lawrence
The Girl From Ipanema / A.C. Jobim
The Way You Look Tonight / Jerome Kern
Time After Time / Jule Styne
Too Marvelous For Words / Mercer & Whiting
Unforgettable / Irving Gordon
What A Wonderful World / G.D. Weiss
When I Fall In Love / Edward Heyman
Showtunes from Musicals & Movies:
A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes / Disney's "Cinderella"
All I Ask of You / "Phantom of the Opera"
Be Our Guest / Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"
Bewitched / "Pal Joey"
Butterfly Waltz / "Twilight: Breaking Dawn"
Chim Chim Cher-ee / Disney's "Mary Poppins"
Ebb Tide / "Sweet Bird of Youth"
Edelweiss/ "The Sound of Music"
I Dreamed a Dream / "Les Miserables"
I Will Wait For You / "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"
If I Were A Rich Man / "Fiddler On The Roof"
Jurassic Park (Main Theme)
Liz on Top of the World / "Pride and Prejudice"
Memory / "Cats"
Moon River / "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
My Favorite Things / "The Sound of Music"
Nature Boy / "Moulin Rouge"
On My Own / "Les Miserables"
Once Upon a Time...Storybook Love / "The Princess Bride"
One Hand, One Heart / "West Side Story"
Only Hope / "A Walk to Remember"
Over the Rainbow / "The Wizard of Oz"
Part of Your World / Disney's "Little Mermaid"
Send In The Clowns / "A Little Night Music"
So This is Love / Disney's "Cinderella"
Some Day My Prince Will Come / Disney's "Snow White"
Somewhere / "West Side Story"
Somewhere In Time (Theme song)
Somewhere, My Love / "Doctor Zhivago"
Star Wars (Main Theme)
Summertime / "Porgy & Bess"
Sunrise, Sunset / "Fiddler On The Roof"
Till There Was You / "The Music Man"
Try To Remember / "The Fantasticks"
Unchained Melody / "Ghost"
Under the Sea / Disney's "The Little Mermaid"
Up (Main Theme Song) / Disney Pixar's "Up"
Wedding Processional (from "The Sound of Music")
When You Wish Upon A Star / Disney's Pinocchio"
A Whole New World / Disney's "Aladdin"
Wind Beneath My Wings / "Beaches"
Popular Hits: 1900's -1940's
(see also "American Standards")
A Bicycle Made for Two
Let Me Call You Sweetheart
Popular Hits : 1950's-1970's
All My Loving / the Beatles
And I Love Her / the Beatles
Annie's Song / John Denver
Because / the Beatles
Can't Buy Me Love / the Beatles
Can't Help Falling in Love / Elvis Presley
Come Sail Away / Styx
Dream On/ Aerosmith
Eight Days A Week / the Beatles
Evergreen / Barbra Streisand
Here, There, And Everywhere / the Beatles
I Walk The Line / Johnny Cash
I Will / the Beatles
If It's Magic / Stevie Wonder
In My Life / the Beatles
Imagine / John Lennon
Isn't She Lovely / Stevie Wonder
Love Me Tender / Elvis Presley
Norwegian Wood / the Beatles
The Great Gig in the Sky / Pink Floyd
Something / the Beatles
Stairway to Heaven / Led Zepplin
Unchained Melody / Righteous Brothers
Wish You Were Here / Pink Floyd
You And I / Stevie Wonder
You Are The Sunshine of My Life / Stevie Wonder
Popular Hits : 1980's-1990's
Amazed / Lonestar
Bittersweet Symphony /The Verve
Bless The Broken Road /Rascal Flatts
Don't Stop Believing / Journey
Endless Love / Lionel Richie
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing /Aerosmith
Mad World / Roland Ozabal
No Surprises /Radiohead
Open Arms / Journey
Overjoyed / Stevie Wonder
Saving All My Love For You / Whitney Houston
Under the Milkyway Tonight / the Church
Wind Beneath My Wings / Bette Midler
Popular Hits : 2000's-Today
Bubbly / Colbie Caillat
Chasing Pavements / Adele
Can't Get You Out Of My Head / Kylie Minogue
Chasing Pavements / Adele
Clocks / Coldplay
Come Away With Me / Norah Jones
Don't Know Why / Norah Jones
Dreaming With A Broken Heart / John Mayer
Dynamite /Taio Cruz
Enchanted / Taylor Swift
Firework / Katie Perry
Fireflies / Owl City
Fix You / Coldplay
I Do / Colbie Caillait
I'm Yours / Jason Mraz
Just Dance / Lady Gaga
Lucky / Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
Make You Feel My Love / Adele (Bob Dylan)
A Moment Like This / Kelly Clarkson
Only Hope / Mandy Moore
Only Time / Enya
Poker Face / Lady Gaga
Politik / Coldplay
Rolling In The Deep / Adele
Shut Up And Drive / Rihanna
Someone Like You / Adele
Speed of Sound/ Coldplay
Sunrise / Norah Jones
Teenage Dream / Katie Perry
Telephone / Lady Gaga
The Way I Am / Ingrid Michaelson
Umbrella / Rihanna
Use Somebody / Kings of Leon
Waiting on the World to Change / John Mayer
Yellow /Coldplay
New Age:
Athair Ar Neamh / Enya
Butterfly Waltz / Brian Crain
Fairytale / Enya
From Where I Am / Enya
For outdoor events, I require a flat surface such as wood or concrete in the performance space. Grass is not a flat surface. If your event will be held in a grassy area, please provide a piece of plywood 4 by 6 feet for the harp.
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