“Kibbey made it seem as though her instrument had been waiting all its life to explode with the energetic figures and gorgeous colors she was getting from it.”
– The New York Times

Bridget Kibbey
HARP

BIO

With the harp as her emblem, and virtuosity and expression to burn, Bridget Kibbey is in demand for innovative, virtuosic performances that expand the expressive range of her instrument and take audiences on transcendent journeys through time, world cultures, musical genres, and emotional depth. She adeptly and divinely interprets the masters—Bach, Debussy, Ravel—bringing “a fresh face to the familiar music” (Seattle City Arts Magazine), while also being a bold advocate of genre-crossing storytelling and the addition of consequential new music to the cannon.

On a mission to illuminate the powerful, expressive range of the concert harp for new audiences worldwide, Bridget leans into her chameleon tendencies—and love for producing her own touring projects—which has led to a busy and kaleidoscopic touring schedule, from appearance with major orchestras to hosts of curation-meets-performance appearances. She has a special commitment to using music new and old to weave and showcase deep connections across cultures—from the baroque to the French Belle Époque, to Persian modes to Nuevo Latino traditions, and beyond.

Bridget’s latest project is an embodiment of that spirit: for Crossing the Ocean (released September 2023, on Pentatone Records), Bridget asked six composers from six countries to write for the harp, based on the music they grew up hearing. The result? A set of cultural snapshots that delve into origin stories and preserving the past while moving forward into a new life in the United States. Soprano Dawn Upshaw is a special guest.

Her second album on Pentatone (Counterpoint in Motion, set for a September 2025 release) weaves her own transcriptions of J.S. Bach’s iconic keyboard works within masterworks by Debussy, Fauré, Gershwin, and beyond. Illuminating how the baroque era (in music and history) forever changed the trajectory of music, Bridget showcases virtuosic basslines to soaring melodies within the powerful resonance of the concert harp. Sharing stories from stage, and using the baroque era as a point of departure, audiences will explore how the music evolved over time—from the baroque courts of Europe to the salons of 20th Century France, to Brazilian baião, to Venezuelan joropo, to Argentine milonga … landing right in the heart of New York City.

She’s also recently announced a new project entitled “A Celebration of the Americas, with harpist Bridget Kibbey,” which is commissioning five new concerti for harp and orchestra over five seasons: 2026 through 2031. Each piece—through the lens of each composer—will be a celebration of the cultures and musical traditions that led to the advent of the concert harp and that continue to weave and evolve to form the rich tapestry that is the American fabric. The project begins with new concerti from jazz giant Miguel Zenón, Brazilian-born Clarice Assad, and long-time collaborator Kati Agócs.

Bridget Kibbey is a winner of a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, a Salon de Virtuosi SONY Recording Grant, and the premiere prix at the Journées de les Harpes Competition in Arles, France, and is the only harpist to win a place in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program. She has recorded with a rolodex of cross-genre musicians, including luminaries Placido Domingo, Dawn Upshaw, Kathleen Battle, and Gustavo Santaollalo for SONY Records and Deutsche Grammophon; and her own solo debut album, Love is Come Again, was named one of the Top Ten Releases by Time Out New York.

Bridget recently made her solo debut on NPR’s Tiny Desk, and her solo performances have been broadcast on NPR’s Performance Today, New York’s WQXR, WNYC’s Soundcheck, WETA’s Front Row Washington, WRTI’s Crossover, and on television in A&E’s Breakfast with the Arts.

She has commissioned concertos from Vivian Fung and Brazilian composer Joao Luiz Rezende, exploring the sounds of Carnaval on the harp. She has crafted touring projects  that merge her own solo transcriptions alongside powerful collaborations: The Sacred in the Profane, exploring French Masterworks of the Belle Époque alongside the famed Calidore String Quartet; the Bach keyboard concertos and sonatas with the Dover Quartet; and duo collaborations with violinist Alexi Kenney and mandolinist Avi Avital. Her exploration of world cultures has resulted in Leyenda—celebrating Nuevo Latino Voices alongside Latin Grammy^® winning percussionist/composer Samuel Torres and acclaimed clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski—and a program tracking music of the Islamic Golden Era alongside Iranian Singer Mahsa Vahdat and percussionist John Hadfield.

Recent performance highlights include appearances as soloist at Toronto’s Koerner Hall, Dumbarton Oaks, Caramoor, Music@Menlo, Festival Napa Valley, the VIVO Festival, Saratoga PAC, Alice Tully Hall with Artists of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, as well as appearing as concerto soloist for 40,000 attendees at “Madison’s Concerts at the Capitol” premiering her own transcription of Rodrigo’s Concierto Aranjuez with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. Bridget appears frequently as soloist and chamber musician at festivals and series across the globe, including Schloss Elmau, Pelotas Festival, Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart, La Jolla Music Society, International Festival d’Avesnois, Aspen, Bravo!Vail, Santa Fe, Spoleto, Big Ears Knoxville, Chamber Music Northwest, Bridgehampton, Savannah Music Festival, The Phillips Collection, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, The Cliburn, and Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Columbus, Calgary Pro Musicis, Chattanooga’s String Theory, among others. Kibbey was the 2022/23 Artist in Focus at the Schubert Club in Minneapolis, Minnesota, bringing three programs of her own creation to the city, to great critical acclaim. (Maybe also briefly artistic directorship). She has appeared as concerto soloist with orchestras in the United States, Europe, South America, and Middle East.

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