A virtuoso harpist, composer, and arranger whose mastery of genres has taken her to the international stage.
Project Jumpstart’s Entrepreneur of the Month is Kirsten Agresta Copely, whose creativity and ease in many genres has led to a multifaceted career including not only a hefty classical performance schedule but also performances with superstars such as Beyoncé and Kanye West. Beyond that, she is a prolific composer and arranger, runs a harp studio at Vanderbilt University, and performs with her husband as the Americana duo Harp & Plow. It’s a daunting schedule, but one that Kirsten Agresta Copely tackles with grace, passion, and drive. Read on for more about how she got her foot in the door of pop performances, what advice she would give to young musicians, and how she keeps her life balanced.
Steeped in rigorous classical training, Copely’s performance career began at an early age: by fourteen, 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. This busy period in Copely’s career marks the start of a long tenure of classical performances, including solo performances in Dublin, Peru, and Amsterdam, among others. Currently, she serves as Principal Harpist with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center and performs regularly with the Nashville Symphony and The New York Pops.
While she maintains a heavy schedule in performing classical repertoire, she has also found an uncanny connection with mainstream audiences. Following a feature in PEOPLE Magazine’s “Up & Coming” column, her performances grew increasingly illustrious, culminating in a performance with Beyoncé at the second official White House State Dinner for President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Mexican President Felipe Calderón. Other performance highlights include the MET Gala with musical guest Frank Ocean, a benefit concert with Jay Z at Carnegie Hall, and Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best is Yet to Come at Radio City Music Hall, which aired on NBC.
Copely’s charismatic, telegenic presence on stage has also allowed her to share a prominent spotlight in a variety of pop-culture settings: she has performed on a full slate of late night and morning show television programming, including Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Stephen Colbert, and The Today Show. Performing live, she has played a gamut of the world’s biggest stages, from Madison Square Garden to Lollapalooza, alongside Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Enya, Michael Bublé, k.d. Lang, Andrea Bocelli, Lady Antebellum, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, The Who, Adam Levine, John Legend, and The Roots.
THE INTERVIEW
PJ: You’ve played alongside such amazing pop artists as Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Kanye West, and John Legend. How did these opportunities come to you, and is your approach to pop music any different from your approach to classical music?
KAC: My first pop performance was with Kanye West at Live 8 Philadephia for a crowd of 10K that was also internationally televised. I was hired by a London-based group called Wired Strings. It really boils down to networking; I got a phone call from the contractor who had gotten my name from a colleague. That’s it!! It just started a chain of events that led to more and more opportunities with artists. We went on to perform alongside Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Enya and more on TV and in some of the most notable arenas and stages. Being a pop harpist is a lot about the visual performance, but you also need the sensibility to follow the band’s rhythm section and play “on the back of the beat.” And you’re doing all of that in 5” heels! I’m just as comfortable playing Salzedo as I am “Single Ladies.”
PJ: You have so much going on in your life, from being a professor at Vanderbilt University, to composing and recording your own albums, to creating music with your duo Harp and Plow! How do you stay creative and balance so many things going on in your life?
KAC: Spending five months at home in quarantine was in many ways a gift, as it allowed for time to compose, record, and focus on projects that had otherwise been put on the back burner. Launching our Americana duo Harp & Plow is ten years in the making and now it’s a reality! I’m inspired to be creating music in multiple genres, which stretches and adds to my musical wheelhouse. My balance comes from managing time efficiently and making sure that I maintain a healthy lifestyle and meditate every day.
PJ: What was your musical vision and process for creating your latest album, “Around The Sun”?
KAC: I wanted to develop a project around the idea of musical space. Brian Eno, a pioneer of ambient music, is one of my musical heroes and I wanted to introduce a unique conceptual approach to the harp. Since it’s a plucked percussion instrument, I set up an effects pedal board to compose with so that I could hear the decay of each note and phrase. The result takes the listener on a 365-day cycle through introspective melodies and a mix of vintage and modern outboard ambient treatments.
PJ: You can be heard not only on your own albums but also with countless artists and video game and movie soundtracks – do you have any tips for musicians who are interested in the recording industry?
KAC: I’m fortunate to live in Nashville, where a lot of the recording industry is now based. It’s not an easy business to break into, so my advice to young musicians is to network and make connections with as many local musicians and contractors as possible. If you have the opportunity to meet them for coffee, do it – offer to play for them, and be as congenial and easy to work with as possible. No one wants a “diva” on a session.
PJ: With COVID-19, artists have had to switch to an almost entirely online platform. What have you found to be successful or not so much in this COVID era? Any tips for musicians who are getting started on their own online platform?
KAC: I did a live-stream series called “Songs in the Key of Quarantine” on Facebook with a different theme each week. It was a fun way to connect with friends and fans while providing a much needed performance outlet. I recommend using the OBS software to stream to your favorite online platform. Be consistent in a day/time for your live-stream to build your fan base and views.
PJ: You studied with Susann Mcdonald, a world-renowned harpist who was Chair of the IU Harp Department as well as named a Distinguished Professor of Music. What are some of the most important things you’ve learned from studying with a legend such as Miss McDonald? What are some of your own teaching philosophies or approaches today as an established performer and teacher?
KAC: I began studying with Ms. McDonald when I was 11 years old. She was my mentor from that early age, and I developed the depth of my tone quality, musical expressivity, and artistic performance from her tutelage. She was very firm but warm and this is something I try to bring to my own teaching. I believe in a strong teacher-student relationship that is open, engaging, and above all, based on mutual respect.
PJ: You received both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees from IU. If you were able to go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as an IU Jacobs student?
KAC: I would tell my younger self to never ever attend a frat party the night before a performance. Haha! But seriously, I would reassure myself to follow my gut instinct and make decisions that are not based on fear.
Many thanks to Kirsten Agresta Copely for taking the time to answer our questions about her inspiring career!
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