Known for her ability to transcend the harp, illiterate the mysteries of music behind the mic, or lead an ensemble with clarity and panache, Bridget Kibbey is in demand for innovative, virtuosic performances that take audiences on 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 newly-commissioned works.

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.

Kibbey is also a sought-after duo collaborator with today’s top artists: From Kathleen Battle’s return to the Metropolitan Opera Stage in Spring of 2024, to duo recital tours with violinist Alexi Kenney, to mandolinist Avi Avital, to Persian Vocalist Mahsa Vahdat and beyond.

It’s not surprising that Kibbey has most recently stepped into the role of conductor:

Leading Trinity Wall Street’s NOVUS in works of Beethoven and Debussy, the International Contemporary Ensemble in the world-premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning Ellen Reid’s Push Pull, to conducting Tania León’s Composer’s NOW Annual Chestwatyr Concerts, celebrating women composers. For the occasions, Kibbey led mixed ensembles and jazz trio in Milena Casado’s Todo Cuando Todo Da Vueltas for jazz trio and ensemble and the world-premiere of Alyssa Regent’s The Island Before Open Waters. Kibbey possesses a natural leadership in large ensemble settings. Her clear, precise conducting is coupled with an exceptional ability to communicate expressively through her gestures, inspiring musicians to achieve extraordinary levels of artistry. Bridget’s infectious musicianship creates a palpable sense of joy and unity in every group she leads, fostering an environment where creativity and excellence thrive.

From 2022-2024, Kibbey was the Artistic Director of MOSA Concerts, elevating a local concert series to a notable world-class, cross-genre performing arts series. Kibbey showcases the rich diversity of musicians who call Uptown Manhattan home, and refocused the series on presenting talent that live North of Harlem – crossing Classical, Baroque, Latin Jazz, and Global music idioms. Kibbey MC’d each event, tracking the history and stories behind the music.

In her most recent solo curation, Kibbey 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 which preserve the past while moving forward into a new life in the United States. Soprano Dawn Upshaw is a special guest. The record was released in 2023 on Pentatone Records.

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 works 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.

Working with the Cliburn Agency, Kibbey’s 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 celebrates 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, starting with new works by 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 or toured 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, 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 GrammyÆ winning percussionist/composer Samuel Torres —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. She has appeared as concerto soloist with orchestras in the United States, Europe, South America, and Middle East.

‍