Kirsten Agresta Copely: Kuruvinda
Imperfect Gems: A Journey in Harp
by Jack Rush
Following her GRAMMY®-nominated Aquamarine, harpist Kirsten Agresta Copely returns with Kuruvinda, a luminous ten-track album that celebrates the flawed beauty of the human experience. Named after the Sanskrit word for an imperfect ruby, Kuruvinda is a deeply personal meditation on grief, resilience, and emotional honesty. Composed in the aftermath of personal loss, it invites listeners to see their own imperfections not as flaws to be hidden, but as radiant truths to be honored.
With each piece composed and performed solely on acoustic harp—no synths, no keyboards—Copely creates a sound world that is as raw as it is refined. Her harp doesn’t whisper serenity; it speaks in full sentences, breathing in pain, grace, and transformation with equal force. The album’s emotional arc feels sculpted from stillness: a slow unfurling of the soul across ten meditative tracks that glide between shadow and light.
“Kuruvinda is my way of honoring the tender places we usually try to hide,” says Copely. That ethos pulses through every note—this is music composed by someone who has walked through fire and come out softer, not harder.
Track Highlights
“Shadow Light” opens the album with a delicate balance of dark resonance and shimmering highs, embodying the dualities Copely seeks to explore.
“Kuruvinda”, the emotional centerpiece, captures the paradox of strength through vulnerability. Its transparent honesty gives the album its spiritual spine.
“Wordless Voice” and “Quiet Core” dwell in stillness, using silence and vibration to communicate what words never could.
“Samskara”, named for emotional impressions, evokes memory in all its messy beauty—layered, unresolved, and human.
“Samtosa”, Sanskrit for “contentment,” offers a gentle closure, like the exhale after a long-held breath.
A Soundtrack for Inner Reckoning
Produced and mixed by her husband, Marc Copely, and recorded in Brooklyn at Casa Copely, the album is sonically pristine. Engineered by Angie Teo and mastered by Maria Rice, the decision to keep the harp acoustically pure results in an intimate listening experience that feels almost sacred. The absence of electronic embellishments is intentional—it lets the harp speak directly, and often, it feels like the voice of your own interior life.
Whether soundtracking a sunrise journal session or a twilight drive through memory, Kuruvinda offers moments of clarity and reflection. It is a shimmering testament to vulnerability’s quiet strength, and an invitation to wear our laugh lines, regrets, and silver strands like jewels.
The Artist
Kirsten Agresta Copely has lived many musical lives. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and for world dignitaries including President Barack Obama and Queen Rania. Her collaborations include Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Enya, and The Who. She’s also contributed to the soundtracks of Sex and the City 2 and Star Wars: The Old Republic, and previously served as associate professor of harp at Vanderbilt University.
Her discography—Dream World (2001), The Covers Album (2019), Around the Sun (2020), and Aquamarine (2023)—has racked up more than 12 million streams and earned her a loyal listenership on platforms like SiriusXM Spa. Through it all, she’s remained a fearless innovator and a steward of her instrument’s emotional range.
Final Thoughts
With Kuruvinda, Copely crafts more than an album—she creates a mirror. One that reflects not just the beauty of the harp, but the listener’s own capacity for healing, acceptance, and grace. It’s a record for women in transition, for anyone reckoning with their past, and for everyone learning to see the cracks as part of the gem.
Let Kuruvinda remind you: we are all imperfect rubies, and we shine all the more because of it.
Have a listen and connect with Kirsten Agresta Copely:
