„Xavier de Maistre is a virtuoso of the highest order, profoundly musical and capable of realizing a remarkable range of nuance.“- Gramophone
Harp, Sensuality, and Embraces: Xavier de Maistre is coming to Riga
On April 18, for the first time in its history, the National Theater will host a solo harpist. He is not just a virtuoso – the Frenchman Xavier de Maistre. He breathes new life, new colors, new repertoire, and new emotions, sometimes quite intense, into his remarkable instrument, providing the audience with a fresh musical experience. In Xavier de Maistre's playing, power is combined with subtlety, elegance with sensuality. That's why he performs in the best halls with the world's top orchestras, receives international awards, and is considered a sensation on the contemporary classical stage.
He is the laureate of the main prize of Germany's major classical music award, the Echo Klassik Award, as Instrumentalist of the Year (2009). His name adorned the posters of La Scala and the Paris Opera, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Musikverein in Vienna. He has been a frequent guest at many high-profile festivals, including Rheingau, Salzburger Festspiele, Wiener Festwochen, Verbier, Budapest Spring, Würzburg Mozartfest, and Mostly Mozart in New York, as well as Schleswig-Holstein. He is the stage partner of brilliant singers Diana Damrau and Roberto Alagna. Conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Daniele Gatti, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir André Previn, Heinrich Schiff, Antoni Ros-Marbà, Bertrand de Billy, Walter Weller, Gilbert Varga, Josep Pons, and Philippe Jordan have invited him to collaborate. He gives lessons and masterclasses at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre, the Juilliard School in New York, Toho University in Tokyo, and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London.
Maistre began studying the harp in his hometown conservatory in Toulon at the age of nine. Later he travelled to Paris to perfect his technique at the conservatory with Jacqueline Borot and Catherine Michel parallel to studying Political Sciences in Paris Sciences Po and Economics at the London School of Economics .During his studies at the conservatory, he surpassed all competitors in harp competitions in Cardiff, Munich, Vienna, Jerusalem, Bloomington, and gained acceptance into the prestigious Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, led at the time by Māris Jansons from Latvia. In 1998 he was awarded First Prize (and two interpretation prizes) at the prestigious USA International Harp Competition (Bloomington) and became the same year the first French musician to be admitted at the Wiener Philharmoniker. This marked the pinnacle of his musical specialization, but the talented musician didn't stop there and embarked on a solo career in 2010.
Embarking on a solo career is an incredibly audacious move for any instrumentalist, and particularly so for a harpist. Pianos, violins, cellos, guitars, violas, flutes, oboes, and clarinets boast an extensive repertoire of beautiful music that spans a lifetime. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the harp's concert repertoire. However, Xavier de Maistre rises above most colleagues, both literally and creatively. Armed with a personal contract with the recording company RCA/Sony Music, he introduced a series of innovative albums that gained rapid popularity. His talent extends to crafting captivating arrangements and interpreting a diverse range of genres, from classical to flamenco, from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" to Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance." Moreover, he possesses the acumen to commission music that highlights the harp's power and energy—a complex instrument equipped with seven pedals, 35 synthetic strings, and 11 metal strings.
"I like holding the harp in my hands, as if in an embrace. What I also like is that there is nothing between me and the sound. The contact happens directly, without hammers or bows. It's a very physical instrument. Touching the strings, tensioning them – it's a very exciting feeling," says Xavier.
"Hot and sexy," they write about him, and he laughs and responds – what can you do, there are always more chances to attract people's attention if you look good, but if there's nothing behind it, success is still out of reach.
And he enjoys success wherever he takes the stage.
Program:
Giovanni Pescetti Sonata in c moll
Francisco Tarrega Recuerdos de l’Alhambra
Manuel De Falla Spanish Danse from La Vida Breve
Franz Liszt Le Rossignol
Bedrich Smetana Moldau
*Interval*
Gabriel Faure Impromptu, op.86 in D flat major
Claude Debussy Premier Arabesque
Clair de Lune
Henriette Renie Legende, D'après des elfes de Leconte de Lisle
Nacionālais teātris Lielā zāle
Rīga, Kronvalda bulvāris 2
