Xavier de Maistre. Harp

He – the Frenchman Xavier de Maistre – is not just a virtuoso. He breathes new life into his remarkable instrument, new colors, a new repertoire, new emotions, which are at times quite stormy, while offering the audience a new musical experience. De Maistre's powerful performance is balanced with sophistication, elegance with sensuality. That's why he performs in the best concert halls and collaborates with the world's finest orchestras, receives international awards, and is recognized as a sensation of the contemporary classical music scene. 

Xavier de Maistre is the winner of the German recording industry award 'Echo Klassik' in the 'Instrumentalist of the Year' category (2009). His name has graced the programs of Milan's La Scala, Paris Opera, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, and Vienna's Musikverein, appearing in the festivals of Salzburg, Verbier, Rheingau, Budapest, Würzburg, and Schleswig-Holstein. He is the stage partner of renowned vocalists Diana Damrau and Rolando Villazón. Collaborating with the most distinguished contemporary conductors – Riccardo Muti, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir André Previn, Hervé Siu, Antonio Ros-Marbà, Bertrand de Billy, Walter Weller, Gilbert Varga, Josep Pons, and Philippe Jordan. He gives harp lessons and conducts masterclasses at the Hamburg Music Academy, the Juilliard School in New York, the Toho University in Tokyo, and the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music in London.

He earned his highest education diploma – following his parents' instructions – at the renowned Paris Ecole des Sciences Politiques – School of Political Science, then continued his studies at the London School of Economics. However, deterring the young man from music was unsuccessful for both sides. He also studied music in Paris – before outshining all competitors in harp competitions in Cardiff, Munich, Vienna, Jerusalem, Bloomington and was employed by the highly esteemed Bavarian Symphony Orchestra, then led by our maestro Mariss Jansons. The next step in Xavier's career was the pinnacle of his profession: he became the principal harpist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (and the first Frenchman in its ranks). His specialty truly pushes boundaries. However, Xavier de Maistre broke an impressive boundary in 2010 when he stepped away from a solid position to pursue a solo career.   

This would be an incredibly bold move for any instrumentalist, but for a harpist – especially. There are so many compositions written for pianos, violins, cellos, even guitars, violas, flutes, oboes, and clarinets that would last a lifetime. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the harp concert repertoire. 

Yet, Xavier de Maistre also proved to be creatively superior to the majority of his colleagues. Utilizing his personal contract with the recording company 'RCA/Sony Music,' he released a series of innovative albums that quickly gained popularity. He has the talent to create captivating arrangements himself and perform anything and everything created by others – from classics to flamenco, from Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' to Khachaturian's 'Sabre Dance.' He also knows which composers to commission new works from, who will be able to reveal the power and energy inherent in the harp – this extremely complex instrument with seven pedals, 35 synthetic strings, and 11 metal strings. 

'I like holding the harp in my hands – like an embrace, but what I also like is that there is nothing between me and the sound: it is direct contact. Without the hammers of the piano or the bow of the violin. The harp is a very physical instrument. Touching the strings, plucking them is very exhilarating,' says Xavier himself. 

Perhaps that's why he is described as 'hot and sexy,' but he jokingly responds – one cannot deny that the chances of earning and attracting people's attention are always greater if a musician looks good. Yet, if there is nothing 'more' behind the attractive facade, there is nothing to hope for in terms of success.  

He achieves success wherever he steps onto the stage.