Meet Kirsten Agresta-Copely | Harpist & Composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kirsten Agresta-Copely and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kirsten, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I grew up in Bloomfield Hills, MI (a suburb of Detroit). It was a beautiful area with top rated schools, revered youth orchestras, and a supportive environment to nurture blossoming musical talent. My Mother was interested in many different instruments, and bought a small Troubadour harp for her own enjoyment, realizing very quickly that her five year old daughter liked it too! I was lucky to live in a home with an eclectic set of instruments – two grand pianos, a marimba, ukelele, recorders and flute, to name a few. As an only child, I sometimes felt lonely and was comforted by those instruments surrounding me. It instilled a level of curiosity and desire to learn that absolutely impacted who I am today.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been really fortunate to have a multi-faceted and varied career, which is something that I always aspired to from the time I was a child. I never wanted to be “stuck” in one position as a musician. Maybe some people would think that’s crazy since a freelance life can be risky and uncertain, but I’ve managed to make music my career without ever taking a side hustle. Although I was steeped in the highest level of classical music training and was an international prize winner, I was also one of the first harpists to be seen sharing the stage with hip-hop artists and have been known as the go-to pop harpist. There are experiences in both worlds that are absolutely indelible in my memories! When someone asks me what my favorite gig has been, I answer: debuting as concerto soloist at Carnegie Hall and playing with Beyoncé at the White House for President Barack Obama. I can’t choose just one, because how could you?

A lot of people don’t know that I was a singer in high school and college. I was actually a double major in opera performance and harp at Indiana University before I switched to just harp my junior year. I performed in a traveling show choir there that recorded albums with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Of course, deep down, I always knew that harp would be my career, but it felt good to explore a different path for awhile. I actually considered pursuing Oceanography for a hot second until I realized how many biology classes I’d have to take!! My Mom always encouraged me to explore whatever interested me, even if that meant going off-course from music for a bit.

As a composer, I’ve found New Age to be the natural genre for my music. I love to use space in compositions, and mostly write with an effects pedal to help me design the music around the decay and length of the effect. My new album, Aquamarine, is a good example! It’s an homage to my late Mother and our shared love of the ocean. It felt really cathartic to express my grief and undying love through the creation and recording of these songs. I hope listeners might find some relief from what they’re going through when they hear my music. That’s the best feeling to know you’ve helped someone with something as simple as a song.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Summertime in NY can be spectacular ~ so I would start our itinerary at an outdoor cafe in the West Village for latte’s and make our way up to Soho to do some shopping. Lunch would be at my favorite spot, Piccolo Cucina Osteria on Spring St., for mouthwatering Italian food. Making our way uptown, I’d take her to one of my favorite museums (Natural History, MoMA, or the MET) and then have Afternoon Tea at the St. Regis Hotel on 5th Ave. Some of the best summer evenings are spent dancing at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night’s Swing, seeing Shakespeare in the (Central) Park, or hearing an outdoor concert at the recently opened Little Island. One of my favorite cocktail spots is the Roof Garden bar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a stunning view of Central Park. If she wanted to go to a Broadway show, I’d take her to Shucked, a musical about corn with 2.5 hours of nonstop laughter.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely want to dedicate this shoutout to my late Mom. She was the driving force behind my early career and championed my every step up the musical ranks, while never being pushy or a “stage Mom”. From driving me for long hours to harp lessons, orchestra rehearsals, competitions and performances, she was always there by my side. I composed my new album, Aquamarine, as a heartfelt homage to the woman who ignited my passion for music. I know she would be so proud of me.

Website: https://www.kirstencopelymusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kcopelymusic

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/kcopelymusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirstencopelymusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/kirstenagrestacopely

Image Credits
Houndstooth Jacket + Purple Dress photo: Joseph Cartright