Internationally acclaimed harpist Kirsten Agresta Copely today announced the release of Around The Sun, an all-original new age harp album. This CD takes listeners on a journey through a 365-day cycle from “Daybreak” to “Winter’s Bone” with beautiful, introspective melodies and ambient soundscapes. This marks Kirsten’s third solo album and first as a composer.
“With the release of her exquisite, sensual and soul-immersing new collection Around the Sun, Kirsten shines the spotlight on her own compositions for the first time – allowing us our first glimpses of her deeper developing artistry and the subtle but majestic emotional power to come,” says Jonathan Widran of The JW Vibe. One World Music UK praised the album’s first single, “Fall Leaves, Fall” as “a rich weave of melodic brilliance…a single you could leave on repeat for hours.”
Around The Sun is a collaboration with Kirsten’s husband Marc Copely, credited as producer, engineer, and mixer. “This is the most significant album of my artistic life since it’s the first that I’ve composed,” says Kirsten. “It was a true joy to finally partner creatively with my husband of 11 years on a project we hope will aurally resonate with many different listeners. The harp is so widely underestimated, so we wanted to explore the unique and varying ambient treatments while recording the instrument in a classic style that maintained its identity.”
One of today’s leading contemporary harpists, Kirsten Agresta Copely has entered the composing world with a splash with 30K monthly listeners on Spotify. Most recently, Harp Column Magazine chose her composition “Onde” as the Fresh & Modern pick for their 30-day Practice Challenge, exclaiming “we’re hooked!” Kirsten is currently the Associate Professor of Harp at Vanderbilt University, where she has been a faculty member since 2017.
About Kirsten Agresta Copely
Kirsten Agresta Copely is a harpist, composer, and arranger that has made music in four continents for heads of state (U.S. President Obama, Mexican President Felipé Calderon), in blockbuster movie soundtracks (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian), alongside Billboard 100 artists (Lady Gaga, Kanye West), on late-night television (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), and with the most recognized symphony orchestras in the world.
Steeped in rigorous classical training, Copely’s performance career began at an early age: by 14, she performed a full solo tour of the British Isles, and continued to gain attention in the classical world by winning Bronze Medal in the 1st USA International Harp Competition, debuting as concerto soloist at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center soon after. While she maintains a heavy classical schedule – she serves as Principal Harpist with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center and regularly performs with the Nashville
Symphony and New York Pops – Copely has also garnered a reputation as the pop industry’s go-to harpist, culminating with a performance alongside Beyoncé at the second official White House State Dinner for President Barack Obama. Other live engagements include appearances on Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and at the MET Gala; in studio, she has recorded with greats like Lionel Richie and has performed in numerous video game, television, and movie soundtracks.