Eleanor Kirk

Prinicipal Harp

Praised for her "especially fine contributions" and "standout solo work", Eleanor Kirk joined the San Francisco Opera Orchestra as Principal Harp in 2025. She previously held principal positions with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and served as Acting Principal Harp with the Santa Fe Opera (2024), the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra (2022-2023), and the Detroit Opera (2023-2025). From 2018-2022, she was the Principal Harp of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and regularly performs as a guest with the top orchestras in the country.

Highlights of the 2024-2025 season include guest principal appearances with the Chicago Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony; chamber music performances on the Artist Series concerts of Sarasota and the Chicago Symphony's Chamber Music Series, as well as summer engagements performing Walküre with the Santa Fe Opera and with the San Miguel Chamber Music series.

A passionate chamber musician, Eleanor recently joined the Chicago Harp Quartet and has appeared on the Rush Hour Concerts and Dame Myra Hess Memorial concerts, both broadcast on Chicago's classical music radio station, WFMT. She also participated in a world premiere at the 2024 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. As a soloist, she has performed concertos with the Bach Week Festival Orchestra and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra.

Eleanor holds degrees from Columbia University and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She has served on the faculties of the People's Music School and the Young Artist's Harp Seminar. She is a founding member of the 5th Wave Collective, a Chicago-based ensemble devoted to performing and promoting music by women and non-binary composers.