Charles Overton

Charles Overton joined the faculty of Boston Conservatory at Berklee in 2019 and is an instructor of harp.  

Equally at home in an orchestra or in a jazz club, it is Overton’s goal, regardless of the genre of music, to create a musical environment that is accessible, exciting and can resonate deeply with any audience. As an orchestral musician, he performs frequently with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, and has previously performed with such orchestras as the Portland Symphony and the New York Philharmonic.  

A passionate chamber musician, Overton has also performed in more intimate settings with ensembles such as the Walden Chamber Players and Collage New Music, as well as at the Marlboro Music Festival. Overton’s pursuits in jazz and improvised music have taken him abroad to perform in festivals such as the Harpes au Max Festival and the Dutch Harp Festival, as well as more local performances at Scullers Jazz Club, the Sinclair, and the Ragas Live Festival.  

A native of Glen Allen, Virginia, Overton moved to Boston in 2012 to attend Berklee College of Music, where he was the first harpist to be accepted to Berklee’s Global Jazz Institute. Also while in school, he attended summer music festivals such as the Pacific Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, and the Castleton Festival.

Today, Overton resides in Boston, where he is actively writing and arranging new music for upcoming projects, as well as taking advantage of every opportunity to collaborate with others virtually.

Notable Recent Works

• Boston Symphony Orchestra (2017–present)—Regular substitute
• The Boston Pops (2017–present)—Regular substitute
• Marlboro Music Festival (Le Tombeau de Couperin with Leon Fleisher, 2018)
• New York Philharmonic (sixth harp, Wagner's Das Rheingold, 2017)