Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions

String Faculty: Bridget Kibbey

As hailed by The New York Times, harpist Bridget Kibbey “made it seem as though her instrument had been waiting all its life to explode with the gorgeous colors and energetic figures she was getting from it.” Symphony, MUSO, and Harp Column magazines all featured the 2004 Avery Fisher Career Grant winner in their recent issues; she is only the second harpist to be awarded the grant since its inception in 1974. She joined the roster of Astral Artistic Services as a winner of its 2003 National Auditions; Astral presents her in concert in both Philadelphia and New York next season, and recently featured her in a concerto performance with the Haddonfield Symphony Chamber Orchestra at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

Ms. Kibbey has received such honors as the Premier Prix at the International Chamber Music Competition of Arles, France (in collaboration with flutist Julietta Curenton), the Juilliard School Peter Mennin Prize for musical leadership and excellence, an American Harp Society Anne Adams Award, and a Mustard Seed Foundation Harvey Fellowship. She appeared as featured soloist with the Juilliard Symphony, the Israel Youth Philharmonic, the Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra. As an orchestral harpist she also performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She has been featured on New York’s WQXR as well as on A&E’s “Breakfast with the Arts.”

Possessing a special interest in new music, Ms. Kibbey premièred new works by many of today’s living composers including Harrison Birtwistle, Pierre Boulez, Kaija Sarriaho, Augusta-Read Thomas, and Charles Wourinen. She recently joined soprano Dawn Upshaw in recording Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs and “Ayre” by Osvaldo Golijov for Deutsche Grammophon. In collaboration with Carnegie Hall, Ms. Kibbey regularly performs on its “Meet the Composer” series, was a soloist in the Elliot Carter/Oliver Knussen workshop, and joined a hand-selected group of young musicians in presenting the first concert in Carnegie’s Zankel Hall under the direction of John Adams. She has been a featured soloist in New York’s Music at the Anthology Festival, the Sonic Boom Festival, and the Juilliard FOCUS Festival, and is the founding harpist of the International Contemporary Ensemble, and performs with the Janus Trio. She has performed at the Tanglewood Music Center; the Spoleto, Pacific Music, Bowdoin Summer, June in Buffalo, and Journées de la Harpe festivals; and the 2002 World Harp Congress.

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