​

Emily Montoya Barnes doesn’t just play the harp, she reimagines it. Grounded in a deep classical foundation, Emily has done everything a master’s-trained harpist is expected to do: soloed with orchestras from Panama to Germany, performed the full canon of harp literature, and held principal harpist roles with symphonies across the American West. But her artistry refuses to stop there.

​

What lights her up is curiosity and collaboration. Emily seeks out the unexplored corners of her instrument, working with living composers to commission new works that challenge tradition and invite surprise. She has partnered with dancers, visual artists, and museums to create immersive, multidisciplinary experiences. As a harpist with reNEW music, she has commissioned and premiered daring new pieces, each one pushing the boundaries of what audiences think a harp can do.

That same spirit infuses her work with the Toiyabe Chamber Music Society, where she performs in a harp, viola, and oboe trio that breaks the chamber music mold. Their concerts blend brand-new compositions, timeless classics, and whimsical pop arrangements, all delivered with humor, heart, and bold personality. They’ve brought these intimate and inventive programs on “micro tours” through small towns across Nevada, playing for audiences who may be hearing a harp live for the first time.

​

Emily earned her degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, but her education has never stopped. Every collaboration, every small-town concert, every risk taken on stage is part of her ongoing pursuit: to make music that’s meaningful, modern, and alive.

​

She lives in Reno, where the mountains call her often. When she’s not performing, you’ll likely find her hiking or climbing alongside her interpret kids and husband.