Bell was raised in northern California.[2] Her father is a philosopher and her mother is a musician.[3] Bell's sister, Biba Bell, is a
choreographer and
dancer,[4] and the sisters created a collaborative performance for the first time in 2016.[5]
Bell attended
Lehigh University and received a
BA with a double major in music and theatre and a minor in philosophy in 2004. She went on to
New York University, graduating with a
PhD in Performance Studies in 2015.[6] Bell has several published performance studies pieces.
Career
Music
Bell creates experimental music, and often breaks the fourth wall during live performances.[7] She has written solo albums as well as operas, song cycles, and improvisational pieces.[8]
In 2007, Bell joined
thingNY, a New York collective of experimental composer-performers. The group has created three concert-length operas: This Takes Place Close By,[9]ADDDDDDDDD,[10] and Time: A Complete Explanation in Three Parts.[11] Bell was particularly praised for her performance in This Takes Place Close By;[12] one critic called her "pure, translucent chorister's soprano" the "icing on the sonic cake.".[13] In 2011, Bell co-founded the collective Varispeed, best known for durational performances of works by
Robert Ashley and
John Cage.[14]
In 2012, Bell wrote and premiered Scaling, a
song cycle, as a part of the Vital Vox Festival. The piece involved many forms of unconventional piano-playing, such as Bell lying on top of the piano and singing while playing.[15][16] Bell wanted to express a connection between physicality, lyrics, and the way the songs were presented. Great Weather for Media called Bell's work "fresh" and "on the edge of what's happening."[17]
Earlier in her career, Bell released a number of albums as a singer-songwriter, including Under a Piano (2005), February (2008), and In Place of Arms (2010).[18] Most recently, she released Ciphony in collaboration with composer John King, which documented their work with Compagnie CNDC-Angers and Robert Swinston in restaging
Merce Cunningham's EVENT.[19] On Ciphony, Bell made use of not only her voice but
vocoder and metallophone.
Theatre and opera
Bell was a part of the original cast and co-arranger of Ghost Quartet (performing vocals as well as
metallophone,
Celtic harp,
accordion, and
percussion), and stayed with the show while it performed at various venues all over the US.[20][21][22] Bell was praised by critics for her "astonishing vocal versatility,"[23] and was referred to as the "standout vocal performance."[24]
In 2012, Bell first became involved with Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812, an electro-pop opera based on
War and Peace.[25] She never auditioned for her role, and was instead asked by composer
Dave Malloy to come in for its initial workshops, as he had written a part with her in mind.[26] Bell's vocal skills inspired the opera-within-an-opera section of the musical.[27] She refers to the project as her first real acting job, since in most of her other theatrical and musical experiences she was free to portray herself.[28] Bell portrayed
Mary Bolkonsky in the musical's initial performances at
Ars Nova Theater, and continued with Great Comet through its Kazino run[29] and its 2016 opening on
Broadway.[30][31][32] The performance marked Bell's Broadway debut.[33] Bell was praised for bringing a "compelling light" to Princess Mary,[34] and for her "impressive intense vocal control".[35]
In 2014, Bell was a performer in Crash, which was the last work of composer
Robert Ashley.[36][37]Crash is unique among Ashley's operas as it is performed completely a capella, with four voices audible at any given moment. The composer wrote the parts with Bell and her Varispeed colleagues in mind. Bell compared Ashley's work to "discovering a garden where different plants blossom on each visit.".[38]
In 2015, Bell collaborated with
Erik Ruin to create the show Prisoner's Song, an exploration into life in prison. Bell and Ruin utilized music, images, and recorded testimonials from former convicts in the piece.[39] The pair additionally collaborated to create an art installation shown in
Eastern State Penitentiary.[40]
Bell was a featured performer and vocalist in the 2014 operatic film River of Fundament by filmmaker
Matthew Barney, with composition by
Jonathan Bepler.[41] She has also collaborated on operas with composers
Kate Soper (composer)[42] and John King,[43] and has worked with choreographers Kimberly Bartosik[44] and Yasako Yokoshi.[45]
In 2017, Bell was one of the select group of artists recognized by The
Foundation for Contemporary Arts and awarded a sound/music grant.[47] Bell has also received residencies and commissions from the
Jerome Foundation.[48] Bell's Bathroom Songs was included in the 2015 iterations of
MoMA PS1's Greater New York exhibition.[49]