Biography (read more)
Xavier de Maistre was born on October 22, 1973, and began studying harp at his hometown conservatory in Toulon at age nine, later studying with Jacqueline Borot and Catherine Michel in Paris while also pursuing political science and economics studies at the London School of Economics. In 1998 he became the first French musician to join the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
De Maistre became the first harpist to appear as a soloist in one of the Vienna Philharmonic’s own subscription concerts, in May 2002, and has since performed as soloist with major orchestras under conductors such as Riccardo Muti and Simon Rattle. He won first prize plus two interpretation prizes at the 1998 USA International Harp Competition, has held international competition honors from Cardiff, Munich, Vienna, and Jerusalem, and has taught at the Hamburg Academy of Music since 2001, helping expand and elevate the harp’s profile as a solo concert instrument.
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