staff
Dr. Kristina Finch & Dr. Dannel Espinoza
Dr. Kristina Finch and Dr. Dannel Espinoza are a husband-and-wife team of professional musicians committed to building strong, supportive musical communities. Kristina is a harpist whose work spans performance and teaching, helping players of all ages feel confident, creative, and connected to their instrument. Dannel is a saxophonist and chamber musician with a long history of collaborative projects, outreach, and arts-focused entrepreneurship.
Together, they share a passion for creating spaces where musicians—especially harpists—feel welcomed, encouraged, and inspired. Their vision for the Virginia Harp Center, Atlanta Harp Center, and Virginia Harp Center – New Jersey is shaped by that philosophy: honoring the past while fostering growth, accessibility, and a vibrant future for harpists everywhere.
Katherine Cook - Manager, Atlanta Harp Center
Katherine Cook is a graduate of Kennesaw State University where she studied clarinet performance. She has performed internationally in China and South Korea and studied abroad at Hanyang University in South Korea with clarinetist Changhee Lee from the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
A local of Metro-Atlanta, Katherine has taught clarinet lessons in the Forsyth County area and enjoys arranging classical works for clarinet ensemble in her free time. She is excited to continue her musical journey on the harp and to share her passion for music in all its forms.
Julie Koenig - Harpist-in-Residence, Atlanta Harp Center
According to legend, Julie Koenig was the Atlanta Harp Center's first customer. These days she works part-time at the store filling orders for strings and music, tuning showroom harps, restringing consignments, and recording audio clips.
Julie is an Atlanta-based harpist with repertoire ranging from classical to contemporary music. An Ohio native, she played with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Harp Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. After freelancing in Miami, she moved to Atlanta and became principal harpist with the Georgia Symphony, DeKalb Symphony and Gwinnett Symphony orchestras, and is a regular sub for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Julie has also played harp on European tours in Rome, Italy and Vienna, Austria. She performs with several Atlanta area choral groups and has played for thousands of weddings.
In her spare time, Julie can usually be found attending an Atlanta Braves game or rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals.
David Raaen - Assistant Manager, Atlanta Harp Center
A native of Georgia, David began his musical studies on the piano at age 4. He then began playing the harp at age 13, and studied with Calista Koch, Nella Rigell and Ellen Heinicke Foster. In 2002, David spent time in Russia working in orphanages and playing the harp. An avid teacher, David has produced a number of performing harpists over the years from his studio. In addition to solo recitals, he has also performed for numerous weddings, church services and with orchestral ensembles.