Carol Emanuel - Harpist, Singer, Songwriter
Carol Emanuel is one of New York's leading contemporary harpists. Her music encompasses Western classical, new music, and Afro-Brazilian idioms, which she combines in her improvisations. After earning degrees from the University of Rochester and the California Institute of the Arts, she worked with Ran Blake and Gunther Schuller at New England conservatory and in the the Third Stream Department at the New England Conservatory of music in the 1970's. In the new music field, she has performed with Anthony Braxton, Earl Howard, Bobby Previte, Arto Lindsay, Lawrence "Butch" Morris, and John Zorn.
Ms Emanuel was a featured artist in "Women in Improvisation" at Symphony Space, and her group "Verde" performed her compositions at the Kitchen. Her theatrical credits include Martha Clarke's "Vienna: Lusthaus" and Joseph Papp's New York Shakespheare Festival. She performed in John Zorn's "Track and Field" at the Kool jazz festival and she has appeared at jazz festivals in Germany, Holland, and Austria.
In the classical field, Ms Emanuel has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and toured with the Goldovsky Opera company as well as playing in the Springfield MA and Albany symphonies.
She was a featured soloist with the Gregg Smith Singers at Alice Tully Hall, and in contemporary music festivals in San Diego, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, and in chamber recitals at the Brooklyn Museum, Wave Hill, and the Bloomingdale School of Music.
In Las Vegas, as performed in shows headlined by Peter Allen, Juliet Prowse, Neil Sedaka, and Steve Lawrence and Edyie Gorme, among others. Ms Emanuel's playing is featured on over 25 recordings, including Leo Smith's critally acclaimed "Spirit Catcher" (Nessa Records) with her two sisters, Ruth and Irene, also harpists.
Working with the composer John Zorn for over 20 years, Carol is the harpist on the groundbreaking "Spillaine and Goddard" as well as Filmworks, the recent Femina and many other recorded scores.
In 2008-2009 Carol performed Zorn's "Shir Ha-Shirim" at the Guggenheim museum, the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland, in Paris at Jazz a la Vilette Festival and in Milan at the new La Scala.
Carol's first cd, "Tops of Trees" on Koch Jazz was an adventurous exploration of harp improv in new settings
created by many of the composers of the downtown scene in New York City.
Carol Emanuel is also on recordings by Bobby Previte, Oingo Boingo, Seigan Ono, John Zorn, and Hal Willner and Cyndi Lauper.