Bridget Kibbey, harp
Harpist Bridget Kibbey is a winner of the 2007 Concert Artists Guild International Competition and recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant. The New York Times recently declared: “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.”
2008-2009 season highlights include a Weill Hall Recital Debut, concerto appearances with the Tallahassee Symphony, the American premier of Sebastian Currier's "Broken Minuets" for Harp and Strings with the Symphony in C in Philadelphia's Kimmel Center, the New York premier of Elliott Carter's Mosaic in Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, performances of Osvaldo Golijov's "Ayre" with Dawn Upshaw in England, and solo recitals in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. She most recently joined the roster of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's CMS II program, and will be performing alongside the society for the next three seasons.
Bridget Kibbey recently self-released a solo album entitled Love is Come Again, named one of 2007's Top Ten Albums by Time Out New York. She also joined soprano Dawn Upshaw in recording Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs and Osvaldo Golijov’s “Ayre” for Deutsche Grammophon. Ms. Kibbey’s solo performances have been broadcast on NPR’s Performance Today, A & E’s Breakfast with the Arts and WQXR. She has also been profiled in SYMPHONY, MUSO, and Harp Column magazines.
Ms. Kibbey has been featured as soloist with the Juilliard Symphony, Israel Youth Philharmonic, Haddonfield Symphony, Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra, America’s Dream Chamber Artists and the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra. She has performed in recital at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center and New York's Merkin Concert Hall. As an orchestral harpist she has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and she was one of a hand-selected group of emerging artists to perform in the Zankel Band at in the first concert in Carnegie’s Zankel Hall, under the direction of John Adams.
A leader in contemporary music and a founding harpist of ICE, Ms. Kibbey has premiered works by both emerging and prominent living composers, including Kati Agocs, Harrison Birtwistle, Pierre Boulez, Elliott Carter, Kaija Saariaho, Augusta Read Thomas, Charles Wuorinen and Benjamin Yusopov. Ms. Kibbey performed Britten’s Canticles in Carnegie’s Zankel Hall with tenor Ian Bostridge, and gave the New York premier of Elliott Carter's Mosaic in Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall in honor of the composer's 100th Birthday. She has been a featured soloist in New York’s Music at the Anthology, Sonic Boom, and the Juilliard FOCUS Festivals.
Additional festival appearances include the Tanglewood Music Center and the Spoleto, Ojai, St. Denis (Paris) and Pacific Music Festivals. Along with her CAG victory in October 2007, Ms. Kibbey is a winner of Astral Artistic Services 2003 Auditions, the Juilliard School Peter Mennin Prize and the Premier Prix at the International Chamber Music Competition of Arles, France (in collaboration with flutist Julietta Curenton), and second prize in the Valentino Bucchi International Competition of Rome.
Bridget Kibbey presents forums to composition students discussing writing for the harp as well as performing student works and 20th century masterpieces in the nation's leading conservatories, including the Curtis Institute, The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music. She recently joined the harp faculties of New York University, Vassar College, Bard Conservatory, and The Juilliard School Pre-College program. Ms. Kibbey holds both Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from The Juilliard School where she completed studies with Nancy Allen.
