About

Leila Jay Bishop is a harpist and performer-composer-improviser passionate about exploring their instrument's every potential.

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Bishop earned a BMA from Rutgers University under André Tarantiles, and later pursued an MFA at the California Institute of the Arts under  Alison Bjorkedal. Along the way, mentors and teachers Frances Duffy, Andrea Chieftain, Kimberly Rowe, Erica Duke-Kirkpatrick, and Nick Deyoe have provided invaluable guidance in shaping Bishop's artistic journey. Immersed in the world of contemporary music, Bishop has shared their expertise at prestigious festivals like nief norf, where they have performed, and FOOSA, where they contributed as a teacher.

Drawing from the rich heritage of western art music but never constrained by it, Bishop approaches each performance with an unwavering commitment to making the music come alive. Bishop fearlessly explores extended techniques, preparations, electronic manipulations, and more, redefining the harp's sonic possibilities. So too are they uninterested in the limitations of genre, evidenced by a multifaceted career that's taken them from prestigious concert halls to seedy dive bars. Their strengths lie in their ability to infuse performances with genuine emotion, their openness to experimentation, a natural inclination for collaboration, and an unbridled spirit of creativity. Bishop continues to shape the future of harp playing through their unrelenting commitment to pushing boundaries and exploring uncharted musical territories.