Madison Calley

Madison Calley (born November 22, 1991) is an American harpist. Calley, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, gained mass exposure and notoriety through the creation of viral covers of contemporary music performed on her harp. Calley has become credited as one of few musicians actively breaking barriers and broadening the scope of inclusion within the classical space.

Calley has been highlighted as a pioneer in reforming classical musicianship in Vogue, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Grammy Awards and Business Insider.

Calley's work has also led to her being invited to perform at the 94th Academy Awards with Beyonce, the 95th Academy Awards with Rihanna, the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards with Usher, the Greek Theater with Alicia Keys and HER, the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the 2021 BET Awards with Roddy Ricch, as well as the Latin Grammy Awards with Karol G.

Early life Madison Calley was born on November 22, in Washington, DC. Her parents, both civil rights attorneys, placed great emphasis on ensuring she and her siblings received well-rounded educations. Calley began gymnastics, swimming, and ice-skating by age 2. She selected the harp at age four, after witnessing a harpist performing Disney songs at a restaurant with her family. She began private piano lessons at age 6 to learn fundamental music theory before transitioning to lever harp at age 8. She first began harp lessons at the Washington DC Youth Orchestra before switching to private instruction under the late Jeanne Chalifoux.

Calley also appeared onstage for the 63rd annual Grammy Awards broadcast with rapper Roddy Ricch to perform his song "Heartless".

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Calley also began her journey of mentorship by taking on a group of students of all demographics, hoping to make harp education more accessible and to instil a sense of enthusiasm for the classical instrument that she was unable to feel as a youth.

By May 2022, Calley was invited to perform at the 94th Academy Awards with Beyonce.

Calley was approached by film director Mario Van Peebles to audition for his western Outlaw Posse. By July 2022 she was cast for the role of Malindy, a talented music teacher held for ransom. The film stars Whoopi Goldberg, Cedric the Entertainer, Mario Van Peebles, Neal McDonough, John Carroll Lynch, and more. The movie filmed in Montana and was released in theaters March 2024.

During the filming of Outlaw Posse, Calley was invited to perform with singer-songwriter Maxwell at Rihanna's 4th annual Savage x Fenty Show.

Calley rang in the 2023 New Year at the Disney Castle on the Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve stage with Halle Bailey for her performance of Janet Jackson's "Together Again" and "Cool People."

In March 2023, Calley made her second Oscar Awards appearance as she joined Rihanna's performance of "Lift Me Up" at the 95th Academy Awards.

Calley made her Vogue Magazine debut on her birthday in the 'Devotion' fragrance campaign for fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana. The publication featured Madison Calley in an editorial style video and article discussing what devotion means to her. The article was published in Vogue Magazine, Vogue España, and Vogue Italia.

Calley joined The Little Mermaid star, Halle Bailey, again for an acoustic performance of her single 'Angel' in October 2023 for YouTube.

To close the year, Calley performed an original song titled "The Infinite Clock of Dreams" at the 2023 TIME Person of the Year event alongside Grammy Award winning spoken word artist J Ivy. The event was held to honor Taylor Swift.

Harp technique

Calley has made a name for herself through her unique harp technique. She is typically seen performing in high heels or shifting pedals on her tiptoes in colorful attire, often designed by herself. She describes her method as one that combines Salzedo method, French method, and a touch of her own flare. As mentioned in her interview with Vogue, Calley is not attempting to veer away from classical tradition, but is instead working to expand the world's overall perception of a harpist and harp music.