Melissa Achten is a Los Angeles-based harpist, composer, and improviser who approaches the harp as both instrument and physical object. Using object preparations and unconventional implements, she carefully constructs a sonic language of unexpected sounds, often creating the illusion of electronic processing through entirely acoustic means. The act of preparing, manipulating, and sounding the instrument forms its own choreography, becoming a central element of her practice. Her work is woven through with a personal mythology in which the harp becomes a divining tool for channeling what lies between the real and the sublime.

Melissa performs internationally as a soloist and collaborator and has presented work at The Broad in Los Angeles, KM28 in Berlin, Mengi in Reykjavík, and the Darmstädter Ferienkurse. Her performances also inhabit less conventional spaces, including abandoned water towers, cemeteries, and black sand beaches. She is a member of the experimental new music nonet Ghost Ensemble, harp and cello duo Rán, and avant-garde duo Deathflavorkiss. Melissa is the co-founder and co-executive director of Oracle Egg, an experimental music and performance incubator in downtown Los Angeles.