The first French musician ever accepted into the Wiener Philharmoniker, harpist Xavier de Maistre enjoys vigorous careers as a soloist, recording artist, and educator. He has commissioned new music from Krzysztof Penderecki and Kaija Saariaho.
De Maistre was born in Toulon on the French Rivera on October 22, 1973. He began harp lessons at age nine. Attending the London School of Economics as a political science and economics major, de Maistre commuted to Paris for lessons with Jacqueline Borot and Catherine Michel. Several major prizes, including one at the International Harp Competition in Bloomington, Indiana, helped launch de Maistre's career. He joined the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic) in 1998, becoming the first French musician to join the ranks of that august institution. That year, he recorded his debut album on the Harmonia Mundi label, featuring music by Henriette Renié. In the 2000s decade, he recorded several albums for the Claves and RCA Red Seal labels.
Remaining with the Wiener Philharmoniker until 2010, de Maistre also appeared with other orchestras, including the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and the Helsinki Philharmonic, among others. He has performed under such conductors as Simon Rattle, Riccardo Muti, and André Previn. In 2001, de Maistre joined the faculty at the Hamburg Academy of Music; he has also taught at the Juilliard School in New York, Toho University in Tokyo, and Trinity College of Music in London.
Signed to Sony Classical, de Maistre released his debut album for the label, Aranjuez: Concertos and Dances for Harp, in 2010. Performing independently since leaving the Philharmoniker, he has been a frequent guest at top-rank European festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, and Verbier Festival, and has served as accompanist to leading singers such as Barbara Bonney, Diana Damrau, and Kathleen Battle. He has continued to record for Harmonia Mundi, Deutsche Grammophon, and Sony Classical, issuing the album Christmas Harp on the latter in 2021. ~ James Manheim, Rovi
