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Krista Detor

Biography - 2020

"She is not just a songwriter, nor accomplished musician, nor poignant entertainer - I have been awed by the soul-punching talent of Krista Detor.." - WNC Magazine (Feb. 2015)

MusicDish magazine calls her work: "..like Richard Wright’s 'Manchild in the Promised Land' or the musical equivalent of Akira Kurosawa’s 'Dreams';" The Allmusic Guide called her “An artist of rare ability with a deep poetic gift,” and Rolling Stone, "A small miracle." Krista Detor’s solo albums have reached national and international prominence, including #1 on the Euro-Americana Chart, and placement within the top 10 of the U.S. Folk and Independent Music charts, but she is no ordinary songwriter: Detor has been involved in several award-winning collaborations, including the highly-acclaimed 'Wilderness Plots,' (PBS national), for which she and fellow writers, including American College of Arts & Letters inductee author Scott Russell Sanders, were recognized by the Indiana Legislature for contributions to the arts (2010), and which resulted in (2) Emmy nominations and a Golden Eagle award.

She was the only American woman invited to The BBC's Darwin Songhouse Project, Shrewsbury England (2009); Says Neil Pearson, Producer of the project: “Krista is one of the very finest modern songwriters at writing within character; and her ability to convey the emotions of the people that inhabit her songs is utterly convincing and believable.. The compelling way the narratives are delivered make one of the most flexible and empathetic writers. Her understanding of the human condition and her ability to express the motivation for her characters give her songs real impact and resonance with the listener.”

She has been commissioned to write musical theatre for The U.S. Dept. of State in New Delhi, India (2012); For the Indiana Arts Commission ('The Breeze Bends the Grass,' recipient of the Indiana Arts Commission's Masterpieces Grant - 2016); and has written commissioned choral pieces for several national and int'l choirs. In addition, she's been a returning presenter at Stanford University, wherein, her album, 'Chocolate Paper Suites' was a multi-year ‘required reading’ assignment for the literature course, "The 'isms of Modernism," in which students sought to explore modernism's impact on, and negotiation with, contemporary culture and art. Says Dr. Rod Taylor of the album, “This album provides an excellent example of how the most salient elements of modernist art and philosophy persist in postmodern culture. Its poetic and intertextual lyrics, captivating melodies, meaningful organization, and complex narrative thread will undoubtedly lead to rich discussions among my students.”

Detor has conducted songwriting seminars, performances and presentations at universities, outreach organizations and arts centers throughout the world, including Ireland's prestigious IMRO performing rights organization. She's been a dually-awarded Artist-in-Residence at the renowned Hedgebrook foundation, and began a series of intergenerational songwriting workshops and performances in 2013, 'Time Travels,' pairing seniors with younger participants, resulting in collaborative performance projects in conjunction with Bloomington, Indiana's Creative Aging Festival. In 2017, Krista conducted the first of her signature cross-cultural collaborations, along with Dr. Rod C. Taylor, Music in the Mournes, in Northern Ireland - taking 14 songwriters on an immersive, 10-day songwriting retreat in the beautiful Mourne Mountains, County Down. She and her partner, David Weber, operate both Airtime Recording Studios, and The Hundredth Hill Artist Residence & Retreat. From August 1 - October 15, 2020, The Hundredth Hill hosted the Emerging Theatre Residency, housing (9) NYU graduates who created two brand-new, traditional theatre pieces, staged socially-distantly at The Hundredth Hill.


Detor's most recent release is, 'Chaos, Collisions & Clocks' a 'Best Of' collection, including three new works.

She's shared stages with Victor Wooten, Chuck Rainey, Joan Armatrading, Loudon Wainwright, The Neville Bros. and Suzanne Vega, among many others.

Krista lives in Bloomington, Indiana.
You can find her on all social networking sites and at KristaDetor.com