Harpist Naomi Hoffmeyer took first prize in the Advanced Division of the American Harp Society National Competition in July 2009 and placed as an alternate in the Anne Adams Awards in 2010. Her recent performances around the Bay Area include appearances with the San Francisco Symphony, Ensemble Parallèle, the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra and New Music Ensemble, the University of California at Berkeley Orchestra and EcoEnsemble, Symphony Parnassus, the Sonoma State Chamber Singers, and performances at the San Francisco International Airport as part of the You Are Hear program to bring cultural experiences to the airport. Naomi also participated in the 2011 Round Top Orchestra Festival Institute in Round Top, Texas.
Ms. Hoffmeyer has an avid interest in contemporary music and is dedicated to promoting the composition of new works for the harp. She has appeared in premier performances of works by local composers, including Ronald Caltabiano's A Red Shirt for soprano, flute and harp, Conrad Susa's opera The Love of Don Perlimplin, Stefan Cwik's Concert Dances for Orchestra and Piano Concerto No. 1, and two pieces of an emerging five piece suite for solo harp by Sarah Stiles.
As a member of the Fens Trio in Boston, Naomi Hoffmeyer helped to commission and premier Dan VanHassel's Trade Clause for flute, viola, harp and electronics. The Fens Trio took second prize in the New England Chamber Music Competition for their performance of Toru Takemitsu's And Then I Knew 'Twas Wind. While studying at the New England Conservatory, she was a member of The Forge, a group of classically trained musicians studying free improvisation, and also studied improvisation privately with guitarist Joe Morris. Ms. Hoffmeyer worked with laptop artist Ikue Mori and pianist/conductor Steve Drury in a presentation of John Zorn's Orphée, written for Mori.
As a member of various orchestras and chamber groups, Naomi has performed in concert halls across the country, including San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall, Boston's Jordan Hall, Tanglewood's Seiji Ozawa Hall, and the Detroit Orchestra Symphony Hall. She has played under the baton of renowned conductors Simon Rattle, JoAnn Falletta (Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra), Shi-Yeon Sung (Assistant Conductor to the Boston Symphony Orchestra), and Benjamin Zander.
Ms. Hoffmeyer received her training with Ann Hobson Pilot at the New England Conservatory and Douglas Rioth at the San Francisco Conservatory. She is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied with Joan Raeburn Holland, and also counts among her primary influences Karen Gottlieb, Heidi O'Gara, and the late harp pedagogue Alice Chalifoux.
Beyond her musical activities, Naomi Hoffmeyer is an enthusiast of the culinary arts, and holds certification in Pâtisserie and Baking from the California Culinary Academy.