OLIVIA KUPER HARRIS is a musical artist, singer, songwriter, and actress.
“Hey I’m Olivia! Music lover, artist, dog mom, goofball, cancer moon. Singing and storytelling is the way I express myself, connect with people, and live in my purpose; My purpose in life is to serve the audience and make people feel something, whether it’s feeling good, or getting to have a cathartic experience that they really need. I’m grateful every time I get onstage and have the opportunity to share and connect with even 1 person. I’ve always dreamed big, marched to the beat of my own drum, and been searching for where I belong. I have had many ups and downs as a free lance artist. I’ve sung to countless rooms where no one was listening, and i’ve toured the world singing for attentive audiences. The setting drastically changes from day to day, but I remain the same. I always sing with my whole heart. Thank you for stopping by and letting my music be a part of your life”
-Olivia
MORE ABOUT OLIVIA
EARLY YEARS
Olivia grew up in a musical family in Dallas, Texas. Singing was a natural part of the family tradition. At a young age, she picked up the piano, the violin, and the guitar, but found her true passion in singing. Olivia attended Booker T. Washington High school for the Performing Arts in Dallas, TX, and LaGuardia Performing Arts High School in New York City.
Olivia sang with the Grammy Jazz Ensembles by the GRAMMY In The Schools Foundation, sharing the stage with artists such as Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis. At age 17, Olivia was named Best Jazz Vocalist in a North American High School by Downbeat Magazine.
Olivia found a passion in acting in high school, as well. She attended National YoungArts Week as a finalist in the discipline of Musical Theatre. Olivia went on to earn a BFA in Musical Theatre from Carnegie Mellon University.
Olivia also starred in a local Texas independent film called “The Playroom”, opposite John Hawkes and Molly Parker, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and sang over the closing credits:
Neil Genzlinger of New York Times:
“...The film stars Molly Parker and John Hawkes as a suburban couple who embody everything that felt so empty about that decade...The real star, though, is a newcomer named Olivia Harris, who plays their oldest child, Maggie...She leads her siblings in group storytelling, an escape mechanism for the unspoken tensions in the family, which simmer to a boil one ugly night. Ms. Harris is also quite a singer. Over the closing credits she delivers the eeriest, loveliest version of “Up on the Roof” you’re ever likely to hear.”
Recent Years
Olivia moved to Los Angeles where she released her first EP, "Lonestar Heart", and met the producers of LA based theatre company, “For The Record Live”, while singing with Jeff Goldblum’s jazz band at a bar in Los Feliz. She began performing with the company, starring in "Baz: Star Crossed Love” at the Palazzo Theatre, voted Best Show in Las Vegas in 2017, and in productions on Broadway in Chicago and at The Wallis Annenberg.
Olivia won the #PMJsearch2017, an international singing competition run by YouTube sensation Scott Bradlee, of Postmodern Jukebox. Olivia began touring the world with Postmodern Jukebox, garnering attention from Katy Perry, Glamour Magazine, and more, upon her debut.
With 11 national and international tours under her belt, millions of views on YouTube, a growing fanbase, and new life experience, Olivia set out to write and release her original music and dropped her album, “Juicy”.
“Juicy” was made possible through crowd-funding and released independently. The album debuted at #12 on the Top 100 R&B/Soul Itunes charts in August 2020. Olivia “toured” the album via a series of drive-in shows and virtual shows, and released The Juicy Outdoors ( Live Album ), in December of 2020.
Harris’s voice was featured in the MTV documentary, “Each And Every Day”, which connected her with her longtime musical influence, India.Arie.
Olivia teamed back up with Grammy nominated producer, David Michael Ott, to co-produce her next project, and released an EP, “Luvtrovert” in 2021, most notably featured on Fresh Finds, and Spotify’s Alternative R&B Playlist with over 1 million listeners.
Harris is currently co-writing the music and lyrics for a new musical exploring climate change in collaboration with The San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company. The full production is set to premiere in San Francisco in the summer of 2025. Olivia is also part of a girl group called “Dear Ivy”, known for their vocal arrangements and blend.
Olivia’s Sophomore album, “Stylish”, was released on April 9th, 2024. Harris continues to connect with her fans on her social media, through her weekly newsletter, and performing regularly around Los Angeles.
Olivia’s musical influences include Erykah Badu, Joni Mitchell, Betty Carter, Jeff Buckley, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Jazmine Sullivan, Whitney Houston, Ariana Grande, Fiona Apple, Anderson .Paak, to name a few. Her music has been described as “Alternative pop with a splash of jazz and neo-soul, blended together by a voice that can plead, seduce, energize and amuse” by Post Haste Media.