Kirsten Agresta


		KIRSTEN AGRESTA has charmed audiences internationally since she began study of the harp at the age of five. By the time she was fourteen, she was soloist on a full tour of the British Isles and has since performed extensively throughout the United States, Europe, South America, Israel, Japan, and the South Pacific. Known for her passionate performances and versatility, Ms. Agresta commands a wide range of genres from classical to hip hop. She performed three solo recitals in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and debuted as concerto soloist in Carnegie’s Isaac Stern Auditorium in 2006. Following a feature in People Magazine, she was presented on segments of NBC, CBS, and ABC-TV and later made appearances on MTV, "Saturday Night Live,""Late Night with David Letterman", and the "Today Show". In Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, and the outdoor concert venues of Live8 and Lollapalooza, Ms. Agresta has played alongside artists such as: Enya, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé, John Legend, and The Roots. Ms. Agresta has also had the honor of privately performing for notable officials and dignitaries such as: Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, and former Vice President Al Gore. Ms. Agresta was the American Harp Society Concert Artist for the 1996-98 season and under their auspices, was presented in solo recitals across the US and Canada. Her other classical honors include: Bronze Medal in the prestigious 1989 USA International Harp Competition, First Prize in the 1993 AHS Young Professional Performance Competition, National Society of Arts and Letters Competition, and the Anne Adams Award on two separate occasions. She also received the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Award and was a semi-finalist in the 1995 Concert Artist Guild New York Competition. Ms. Agresta has been a featured soloist at the World Harp Congresses in Paris, France; Seattle, Washington; Prague, Czech Republic; Dublin, Ireland, and the upcoming Congress in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She is Web Manager for the World Harp Congress Review, Voting Member of the Recording Academy (NARAS), and New York Regional Director of the American Harp Society. KIRSTEN AGRESTA studied with Nancy Allen of The Juilliard School and with Distinguished Professor Susann McDonald of Indiana University. She received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Indiana University, and was awarded the Performer's Certificate, the highest distinction awarded by the esteemed School of Music. Ms. Agresta served as Associate Instructor of the I.U. Harp Department from 1991-93. Her Broadway credits include "Beauty and the Beast," "The King and I," "State Fair" and most notably, Boublil and Shoenberg's "The Pirate Queen," featuring the first ever Concert and Celtic harp double on Broadway. She currently resides in New York City, where she maintains a private teaching studio, and is a member of the Music Faculty at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY.