American-born, Australian-based harpist Emily Granger has emerged as one of the country’s most compelling musical voices, hailed by ABC Classic as a “queen of contemporary classical performance in Australia.” Her performances and recordings praised as “intoxicatingly beautiful” (The Australian), “an impressive debut” (Limelight), “beautiful” (BBC Music Magazine), and “performed in sumptuous style” (Harp Column) have been heard on international airwaves and stages from Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center to the Sydney Opera House. 

1 of 10

Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and cross-disciplinary collaborator, Emily has premiered more than 85 new Australian works, created major artistic projects across music, dance, and visual art, and released a series of acclaimed albums on AVIE Records, ABC Classic, and The Hush Foundation. She was appointed Principal Harpist of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2023 and serves on faculty at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.

2 of 10

Emily released her debut solo album, In Transit, in 2022 on AVIE Records. Selected as Feature Album on ABC Classic and 2MBS Fine Music Sydney, the album was praised by BBC Music Magazine as “beautiful” and by Limelight as “an impressive debut,” and has received more than 5 million streams.

Her subsequent recordings include Suite Mágica (ABC Classic, 2023) with guitarist Andrew Blanch; Magic Sky (The Hush Foundation, 2024) with percussionist Claire Edwardes; and Something Like This (AVIE Records, 2023). Each of these albums was named Album of the Week on ABC Classic. Suite Mágica was described by Sydney Arts Guide as “one of the most extraordinary albums to come out of Australia in a long time” and Something Like This was described by The Australian as “intoxicatingly beautiful” and by Harp Column as “a beautifully programmed collection performed in sumptuous style.”

3 of 10

Notable appearances include solo, chamber and featured collaborations with with Ensemble Offspring, Orava Quartet, Omega Ensemble, Flinders String Quartet, International Chamber Artists, Duo Scorpio, Inventi Ensemble, Sydney Dance Company, Nexas Quartet, Sydney Chamber Choir, Ensemble Q, Southern Cross Soloists, Chicago Harp Quartet, Andrew Blanch, Claire Edwardes, Sally Walker, Australian Art Orchestra, Sydney Art Quartet, Bowerbird Collective, The Australian Voices, Orange Symphony Orchestra and Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra.

4 of 10

Emily has performed for major venues, festivals and presenters including Sydney Opera House, UKARIA Cultural Centre, Melbourne Recital Centre, Musica Viva Australia, Phoenix Central Park, City Recital Hall,National Theatre in Havana Cuba, Ravinia Festival, Rush Hour Concert Series (Chicago), LIVE from WFMT, Dame Myra Hess Series, American Harp Society National Conference, Classical Music Chicago, Midwest Harp Festival, Craven Creek Festival, Ear Taxi Festival, Lyon & Healy 150th Birthday Festival, Art Gallery of NSW 150th Anniversary Resonante Concert, Sydney Festival, Brisbane Festival, Extended Play Festival, Lyrebird Festival, Tyalgum Music Festival, Stradbroke Festival, Peninsula Summer Music Festival, Orange Chamber Music Festival, Brisbane Music Festival, Oberon Festival, Music in the Regions, Opera at Jimbour Festival, and Bellingen Muse. Her creative development has been supported through residencies at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Bundanon Trust and The Old School House Mt Wilson.

5 of 10

Emily is Principal Harpist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared as Guest Principal Harpist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Drawing on her extensive orchestral career, Emily has tutored young orchestral harpists in the Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp, Sydney Youth Orchestras and Queensland Youth Orchestras.

6 of 10

Emily has commissioned and/or premiered over 85 new Australian works for harp. Among these is a Concerto for Harp by her husband, composer Tristan Coelho, which she will premiere with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2026 with Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici. Her commitment to new Australian work led to an invitation to perform at the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address in 2024 delivered by composer Elena Kats-Chernin. This commitment to new music is also reflected in her recording projects, which prominently feature works by living Australian composers. In 2026, Emily will present two programs of newly commissioned works at the World Harp Congress in Toronto, performing with guitarist Andrew Blanch and the Chicago Harp Quartet as well as release two albums consisting entirely of new Australian works for harp.

7 of 10

Emily was a Finalist in the 2025 Limelight Artist of the Year, 2021 Art Music Awards for Performance of the Year, 2023 Freedman Fellowship and is well known to radio audiences, with selection as ABC Classic as Artist of the Week, multiple Featured Albums and regular airplay around the world, including 5000+ track plays on USA radio. 

Emily’s work also extends far beyond the classical world. She recorded harp for the hit television series Bluey and is featured on the show’s 2025 Christmas album. She has performed for the Australian Prime Minister, the President of France and numerous United States Senators, and her cross genre collaborations span artists including Janelle Monáe, Lior, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Birds of Tokyo, Ngaiire, Lime Cordiale, Sarah Blasko and Diesel. Emily is a founding member of Ensemble X and the Chicago Harp Quartet and is managed by Tier 1 Arts.

8 of 10

Emily Granger was born in Wichita, Kansas and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri where she began her musical training with the Kansas City Youth Orchestra and spent summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp. She completed her Bachelor of Music Performance with Distinguished Professor Susann McDonald at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. During her studies, Emily appeared at major American festivals including the National Repertory Orchestra (Colorado) and the National Orchestral Institute (Washington D.C.) and toured as a soloist with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra. She later completed her Master of Music at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, studying with former Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Harpist Sarah Bullen, and served as Principal Harpist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago before relocating to Australia.

9 of 10

Emily’s competition success include winning First Prize in the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale, Musicians Club of Women Instrumental Competition, Northland Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the Chicago College of Performing Arts Concerto Competition, as well as placing in the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and the ASTA American String Teachers Association Competition.

10 of 10