Dr. Anastasia Pike

Full Biography

Principal Harpist of the FSO since 2021 and a faculty member at Teachers College, Columbia University, Dr. Anastasia Pike has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the White House for presidents, foreign royalty, and Supreme Court justices. As the founder and director of the Hampton Roads Harp Festival, she has collaborated with a diverse roster of artists spanning from Itzhak Perlman and Renée Fleming to Dave Grohl and LeVar Burton. Her extensive career as an orchestral musician, award-winning pianist, and guest principal harpist across prominent ensembles highlights her artistic versatility on both prestigious conservatory and high-profile commercial stages.

Beyond her active performance schedule, Dr. Pike is a passionate advocate for academic scholarship and arts education. She served on the faculty of the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University for 14 years and has presented her research at major global institutions, including the World Harp Congress in Wales and as an invited speaker at The Juilliard School. Her leadership credentials also extend outside the concert hall; she was notably selected as one of only 50 active-duty military spouses globally to complete a fully funded leadership certificate program at Harvard University.

Dr. Pike holds a doctorate from Columbia University, alongside master's degrees from the Peabody Institute, the University of Maryland, and Pensacola Theological Seminary. Dedicated to the intersection of music and medicine, she received the U.S. Navy's CMC Award for providing therapeutic music to wounded warriors at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where she continues to volunteer. She currently serves as President of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the American Harp Society and continues to perform, lecture, and teach internationally while dividing her time between New York City and the National Capital Region.