CONCERTS INTERNATIONAL
Memphis
Bridget Kibbey & Chad Hoopes
Harp and Violin Duo
Bridget Kibbey
Avery Fisher Award Winner
Chad Hoopes
Avery Fisher Award Winner
Friday, November 14, 2025
7:00 PM Harris Concert Hall
Mesmerizing
Dynamic
Imaginative
Brillant
Captivating
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience two of classical music’s most captivating voices in concert.
“...the yo-yo ma of the harp” – Vogue Magazine
“[An] impressive, […] prodigiously talented [musician with an] enormous stamina and brilliant, zippy sound”
– The New York Times
An Evening with Bridget Kibbey & Chad Hoopes
Join celebrated harpist Bridget Kibbey and acclaimed violinist Chad Hoopes for an unforgettable evening of chamber music that blurs boundaries and elevates the senses. Known for her luminous touch and adventurous spirit, Kibbey brings the harp into the spotlight with expressive brilliance. Hoopes, praised for his soulful tone and commanding presence, complements her with dynamic energy and lyrical finesse.
Together, this virtuosic duo crafts a mesmerizing program that traverses time and genre—from Baroque intimacy to contemporary boldness. Their refined artistry and magnetic chemistry promise a performance that is both intimate and exhilarating.
Bridget Kibbey
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Avery Fisher Career Grant winner
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Salon de Virtuosi SONY Recording Grant, recipient
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Premiere prix at the Journées de les Harpes Competition in Arles, France
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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program
Chad Hoopes
Chad Hoopes
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Chad Performs with the 1991 Samuel Zygmuntowicz, ex Isaac Stern violin
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Avery Fisher Career Grant Winner
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First Prize at the Young Artists Division of the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition
Repertoire
Saint-Saëns, Camille (1835-1921): Fantaisie for Violin and Harp, Op. 124
Bach, J.S. (1685-1750): Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (trans. for harp, Kibbey)
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788) G Minor Sonata, H 542.5
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
Currier, Sebastian (B. 1959) Night Time Suite
I. Dusk
II. Sleepless
III. Vespers
IV. Nightwind
V. Starlight
Intermission
Ysaÿe, Eugène (1858-1931): Sonata for Solo Violin in D Minor ‘Ballade’, Op. 27, No. 3
D’Rivera, Paquito (b. 1948): Bandoneon
Selections to be announced from the stage:
Rodrigo, Joaquín (1901-1999) 4 Madrigals Amatorios
Falla, Manuel (1946-1876): Sietes Canciones Populares Españolas
About Bridget & Chad
With the harp as her emblem, and virtuosity and expression to burn, Bridget Kibbey is in demand for innovative performances that expand the range of her instrument and take audiences on transcendent journeys through time, world cultures, musical genres, and emotional depth. She adeptly and divinely interprets the masters—Bach, Debussy, Ravel—bringing “a fresh face to the familiar music” (Seattle City Arts Magazine), while also being a bold advocate of genre-crossing storytelling and the addition of consequential new music to the canon.
On a mission to illuminate the concert harp for new audiences worldwide, Bridget leans into her chameleon tendencies—and love for producing her own projects—which has led to a busy and kaleidoscopic touring schedule, from concerts with major orchestras to hosts of curation-meets-performance appearances. She has a special commitment to using music new and old to weave and showcase deep connections across cultures—from the Baroque to the French Belle Époque, to Persian modes to Nuevo Latino traditions, and beyond.
Bridget’s latest project is an embodiment of that spirit: for Crossing the Ocean (released September 2023, on Pentatone Records), Bridget asked six composers from six countries to write for the harp, based on the music they grew up hearing. The result? A set of cultural snapshots that delve into origin stories and preserving the past while moving forward into a new life in the United States. Soprano Dawn Upshaw is a special guest.
Her second album on Pentatone (Counterpoint in Motion, set for a September 2025 release) weaves her own transcriptions of J.S. Bach’s iconic keyboard works within masterworks by Debussy, Fauré, Gershwin, and beyond. Illuminating how the baroque era (in music and history) forever changed the trajectory of music, Bridget showcases virtuosic basslines to soaring melodies within the powerful resonance of the concert harp. Sharing stories from stage, and using the baroque era as a point of departure, audiences will explore how the music evolved over time—from the baroque courts of Europe to the salons of 20th Century France, to Brazilian baião, to Venezuelan joropo, to Argentine milonga … landing right in the heart of New York City.
Acclaimed by critics worldwide for his exceptional talent and magnificent tone. American violinist Chad Hoopes has remain consistent and versatile performer with many of the world’s leading orchestras since winning First Prize at the Young Artists Division of the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition.
Hoopes is a 2017 recipient of Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Career Grant. Former winners include Kirill Gerstein, Yuja Wang, Leila Josefowicz, Joshua Bell and Hilary Hahn.
Highlights of past and present seasons include performaces with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse for the French premiere of Qigang Chen’s concerto La joie de la souffrance. He has performed with leading orchestras including San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Houston and the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as Minnesota Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Hoopes frequently performs with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has additionally performed recitals at the Ravinia Festival, the Tonhalle Zürich, the Louvre, and Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series in New York City.
His debut recording with the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra under Kristjan Järvi featured the Mendelssohn and Adams concertos and was enthusiastically received by both press and public. His recording of Bernstein’s Violin Sonata with pianist Wayne Marshall was released in 2019.
Hoopes is a frequent guest artist at the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland, the Rheingau Festival, and at Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where he was named the winner of the prestigious Audience Award.
Born in Florida, Hoopes began his violin studied at the age of three in Minneapolis, and continued his training at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He additionally studied at the Kronberg Academy under the guidance of Professor Ana Chumachenco, who remains his mentor.
He plays the 1991 Samuel Zygmuntowicz, ex Isaac Stern violin.