Rising to prominence with a Bronze Medal in the 1st USA International Harp Competition in her teens and debuting as concerto soloist at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center not long after, harp virtuoso Kirsten Agresta Copely has just about done it all in her multi-faceted career.
She’s played for heads of state, appeared on blockbuster movie soundtracks, performed on late night shows, vibed with contemporary pop legends (Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli), recorded two albums and currently serves as Principal Harpist with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra at Lincoln Center and regularly performs with the Nashville.
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. Though it’s billed as a solo recording, it’s actually a beautifully rendered collaboration by the harpist and her husband Marc Copely, who produced, engineered and mixed every nuance and detail to pure, pin drop perfection.
She designs the compelling nine song cycle as a unique 365-day journey that begins with the mystical, gently ambient “Daybreak” (reflective of the quiet wonders of morning) and wraps with the atmospheric meditation “Winter’s Bone,” whose darker ambiences are offset with glimmers of hope from her lush, purposeful string melody. Though the overall deeply relaxing flow of the album all but demands a full-on, non-stop with no distractions listen, there are some colorful mini-sojourns on the timeline that can serve as ideal entry points.
One of the most infectious of these is the first single “Fall Leaves, Fall,” which hypnotizes with the seductive intertwining of its bright melody and a sensual harmony motif that may help you drift off to a magical dream state.
Other key passages are the soft and crystalline aural massage Kirsten gives us via “Persephone”; the heartfelt, slowly blossoming “Water Lillies”; a soft-spoken, awe-inspiring ode to the grace of a “Silver Swan”; and “Riflessioni (Reflections),” a potent tool to help reconcile the past as you look ahead to the future, whatever language you choose to do it in.
Anyone looking for the next important voice in New Age music should hop aboard and take this transcendent excursion Around the Sun.