Eastman School of Music Announces New Associate Professor of Harp
Eastman School of Music, of the University of Rochester, announces that internationally acclaimed artist Bridget Kibbey has been named associate professor of harp, appointed to begin in fall 2026.
An Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and winner of the Premier Prix in the Journées de les Harpes Competition of Arles, France, Kibbey has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Sony Music, and Pentatone Records and was called the “Yo-Yo Ma of the harp” by Vogue.
“Bridget is an extraordinary artist, a gifted and experienced educator, and a positive force in the music world,” states Kate Sheeran, Joan and Martin Messinger Dean at Eastman. “We are thrilled to welcome her to Eastman, and I know our students will benefit from her expertise for many years to come.”
Having previously held faculty positions at the Frost School of Music, Bard Conservatory, and New York University, Kibbey’s recent and upcoming debuts include the Baltimore Symphony, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and the National Philharmonic. Her debut album was named one of the Top Ten Releases by Time Out New York.
“I’m excited to join a community with a rich history of excellence, while supporting the next generation of musicians as they prepare for and launch a variety of performance careers that meet the moment,” says Kibbey.
She has performed in series across the Americas as recitalist, or in duo with vocalists Kathleen Battle and Dawn Upshaw, mandolinist Avi Avital, the Dover Quartet, violinist Alexi Kenney, the Boy Choir of St. Thomas Church, Latin Grammy-winning percussionist Samuel Torres, percussionist John Hadfield, Persian singer Mahsa Vahdat, and kora player Yacouba Sissoko, among others. Internationally, Kibbey has appeared at Schloss Elmau, Festival St. Denis, ANAM, Festival des Harpes in Arles, France, Festival de Música de Morelia, Pelotas Festival, and the Lucerne Music Festival, and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras across the United States, South America, and the Middle East. Kibbey is also an artist with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
A graduate of The Juilliard School, Kibbey’s 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 A&E’s Breakfast with the Arts. More information on Kibbey can be found at bridgetkibbey.com.
Media only: Jessica Kaufman, Executive Director of Marketing & Communications; (585) 278-4743; jkaufman@esm.rochester.edu
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About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training.
More than 900 students are enrolled in the Collegiate Division of the Eastman School of Music—about 500 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. They come from almost every state, and approximately 23 percent are from other countries. They are taught by a faculty comprising more than 170 highly regarded performers, composers, conductors, scholars and educators. They are Pulitzer Prize winners, GRAMMY winners, Emmy winners, Guggenheim fellows, ASCAP Award recipients, published authors, recording artists and acclaimed musicians who have performed in the world’s greatest concert halls. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members and guest artists present more than 1,000 concerts to the Rochester community. Additionally, over 1,700 members of the Rochester community, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.
About the University of Rochester:
The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s leading private research universities, one of only 62-member institutions in the Association of American Universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives undergraduates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.