“De Maistre is a kind of Hamelin of the harp: the agility, the ease with which the most astonishing technical challenges are surmounted, the conversational phrasing and evenness of rapid passagework instantly amaze. But it is also his depth of tone and variety of colour that beguile.” - Gramophone

 

“de Maistre dazzled the audience with his virtuosity” - Bachtrack

 

“Xavier de Maistre demonstrates an infinite range of colours, anxious to underline the floating aspect of his instrument’s tone, frank and soft at the same time.” - Classiquenews

 

 

Born in Toulon, Xavier de Maistre studied the harp with Vassilia Briano at his local conservatoire, before perfecting his technique with Catherine Michel and Jacqueline Borot in Paris. In 1998 he is awarded the first prize at the prestigious USA International Harp Competition and becomes the first French musician to be admitted to the Wiener Philharmoniker.

 

As a soloist, Xavier performs under the baton of many conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Riccardo Muti, Philippe Jordan, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Daniel Harding and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

 

He was recently invited by important orchestras such as Chicago, Birmingham and Finnish Radio Symphony orchestras ; London and China Philharmonic orchestras; Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Mozarteum Salzburg and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. He also performed in recitals in Lucerne, Baden-Baden, Stuttgart, Berlin and on the main stage of Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.

 

 

Lucero Tena has marked a personal, unmistakable style to her performance of the castanets, and she has distinguished herself for her promoting and incorporating this instrument into the big concert halls as solo instrument of concert works. Under this meaning she has created the name of Castanets Soloist, proper to her activities.

 

Lucero Tena has performed as soloist in concert halls around the five continents, under the baton of conductors such as Loren Maazel, Mstislazv Rostropovich, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, Jesús López Cobos, Sergiu Comissiona, Franz-Paul Decker, Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez, Peter Guth, García Navarro and Adrian Leaper, among others.

 

 

1. Mateo Albéniz: Sonata in D Major Op. 13 for Harpsichord
2. Guridi: Viejo Zortzico
3. Isaac Albéniz: 12 Piezas Características,Op.92, No.12.Torre Bermeja, Serenata
4. Isaac Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47m, No. 1. Granada (Serenata)
5. Isaac Albéniz: Suite Española No. 1, Op. 47
6. Isaac Albéniz: No. 5. Asturias (Leyenda)

 

- Intermission -

7. Antonio Soler: Sonata No. 84 in D Major for Harp
8. Granados: Valses Poéticos H. 147, DLR 7:8 for Guitar
9. Granados: Danzas Españolas, Op.37: No. 5. Andaluza
10. Tárrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra
11. Falla: Spanish Dance No. 1