Jillian Lopez

Jillian Risigari-Gai Lopez is a proud Los Angeles native and freelance artist. She started her musical path at the age of 3. Jillian earned a Masters in Fine Arts in Harp Performance from California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelor of Music in Performance- Harp from California State University- Long Beach. She is currently pursuing a DMA in Performance at UCLA under the mentorship of Lou Anne Neill, former Principal Harpist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. LA Weekly describes Jillian’s versatile style as “one who reaps musical dividends, adding to the story’s magical feeling” and that her musicianship adds “delicious upstage accompaniment” – Stage and Cinema.

Film credits include Papa Hemingway in Cuba (2015), and The Ground Beneath Their Feet (2014), and With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story (2010). She was a featured performing artist for Emmy Award winning PBS Artbound Special Episode: Invisible Cities (2015) composed and adapted by Christopher Cerrone (Pulitzer Prize Finalist) which was presented as a Wireless Headphone Opera at LA’s Historic Union Station.

Jillian’s love of live theatre has led to a multitude of productions throughout Southern California. Jillian has collaborated with 3-D Theatricals. Good People Theater Company , Hollywood Fringe Festival , Musical Theater West, Encore Southbay, The Lewis Family Playhouse, and the Independent Shakespeare Company. In the Spring of 2017, Jillian was featured in a A Laugh Than Think Production of For Piano and Harpo a play written and starring Dan Castellaneta (voice of ‘Homer Simpson’ from the TV Series The Simpsons) about the lifelong friendship of Harpo Marx and Oscar Levant. Additionally, Jillian holds principal positions with Long Beach Ballet Company, Pacific Opera Project, Pasadena Opera, and The Contemporary Performance Collective. She has performed with The Industry Opera Company, Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, and Long Beach Opera.

Jillian has collaborated with pop fusion LA based bands/musicians such as KNOWER with Genevieve Artadi and Louis Cole, ANNABEL(LEE), Mike Keneally, HOLYCHILD, Hazel Iris, and XYLO. She has appeared as a collaborative artist on albums such as Postcards from Heaven by Susan Allen, LIFE by KNOWER, and Dizzy Strange Summer by Genevieve Artadi.

Jillian’s lifelong ambition has always been to be part of a music community that is centered around the artistic process as a building block or foundation to reinforce the sustainability of classical music’s future in an inclusive and comprehensive way. She is currently Principal Harpist & Co-Founder of the Los Angeles Chamber Music Co. LACMC is a non-profit organization that seeks to provide audiences with exceptional and affordable chamber and collaborative arts concerts that inspire and promote our sense of passion, community, and diversity. Through Jillian’s passion and love of intimate chamber works, she is currently curating programs that feature and highlight an eclectic range of repertoire showcased in livestreams, live music, recordings, music videos, and music education.

• B.Mus., California State University Long Beach

• M.F.A., California Institute of the Arts