Maaimanmankuulu italialaisharpisti Helsingissä
Floraleda Sacchi
Described by music critics as an artist of exceptional musicality and talent, Floraleda Sacchi appeared as soloist in major concert halls worldwide. She is today considered as one of the most interesting and original harpist in the international concert panorama and an innovator in the approach to her instrument.
Her celebrated CDs are already part of the musical history of the harp and became a cult. As a matter of fact Floraleda is the only harpist who recorded for the four major music companies (Decca, Universal, Philips and Deutsche Grammophon).
She recorded also CD for Tactus, Brilliant Classics, Musika Slovaka… nd she created a series for Amadeus Arte dedicated to composers who wrote and collaborated with her (Portraits’ Collection).
Floraleda performed as soloist all over the world in major halls and festivals: Carnegie Hall-Weill Recital Hall (New York), United Nations Palace (New York), Gewandhaus (Leipzig), Konzerthaus (Belin), Auditorium Binyanei Hauma (Jerusalem), Sala Verdi (Milan), Matsuo Hall (Tokyo), Prefectural Hall Alti (Kyoto), Salle Varèse (Lyon), Gasteig (Munich), Concerts de la Croix Rouge (Geneva), River Concert Series (Washington), Gessler Hall (Vancouver), CBC-Glenn Gould Studio (Toronto), Società del Quartetto Milano, Festival Musica no Museo (Rio de Janeiro), Auditorium della Conciliazione (Roma), etc.
Floraleda appeared as soloist with several orchestras (Filarmonica Toscanini, Neubrandenburger Philharmonie, Camerata Portuguesa, Milli Reasürans Oda Orkestrasi, Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, ecc.) with the great classics of the repertoire and with rarely performed concertos (Schönberg, Hahn…). Recently, she appeared also as soloist with the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana in for the Christmas’ Concert broadcasted worldwide by RAI.
She often collaborates with actors in theatre shows. She composed the music she performs live with Ottavia Piccolo in the monologue “Donna non rieducabile” directed by Silvano Piccardi. The show – which has received numerous awards and had more than 100 performances from the European Parliament in Brussels to the main Italian theaters – was transformed by RAI 2 into a movie (directed by Felice Cappa). In addition to the national broadcasting, the movie was presented at the 66th Venice Film Festival and published in DVD by PromoMusic.
She regularly gives masterclasses in Europe, the United States and Canada (Westminister College – Salt Lake City, Oklahoma University, European Academy of Music, British Columbia University – Vancouver, New York University, Masterclass of Cervo, Conservatorio di Parma, Masterclass of Camerino, etc.)
Parallel to music she has studied English, French and German and since 2006 she is the artistic director of Lake Como Festival.
When she was 21 years old, she won the Harpa Award (Prague, 1999) for her book on Elias Parish Alvars (1999, Odilia Publishing, 220 pages). She is still considered the world expert of this author. She has written several articles appeared on major specialist journals (American Harp Journal, Harpa, World Harp Congress Review), and she has managed dozens of music editions for Ut Orpheus.
Floraleda was born in Como (Italy). Inspired to play the harp by Annie Challan’s recordings, she started studying with Lisetta Rossi when she was 14 at Como Conservatoire. She later studied with Alice Giles (Frankfurt), Alice Chalifoux (Salzedo School, Camden, ME, USA) and with Judy Loman (Toronto, Canada). From 1997 to 2003, she won prizes at 16 competitions, including: Concours UFAM (Paris), Gioventu’ Musicale Italiana, Rovere d’oro, T.I.M. (Rome), Concorso F. Schubert, Toronto Concerto Competition (Canada), Premio Galbiati (Milan) etc.
PRESS
One of the most promising young harpists on the classical scene today.Music Media Monthly, Rick Anderson
Sacchi delivers the best harp playing I’ve ever heard.American Record Guide (Gil French)
Among the original pieces, some in the premiere recording or first version for harp, Mrs Sacchi invents a fascinating chapter of modern history of the harp.Angelo Foletto, Suonare and Repubblica
Floraleda Sacchi bewitches the soul.Irene Krieger, Markische Allgemeine Zeitung
Sacchi is a first-class player, with excellent technique and a wide range of dynamics. Lynn Bailey, Fanfare
Her attitude makes the works jump out at the listener with more gusto and interest than the typical harp recital.Audiophile Audition, John Sunier
The pieces may be familiar, but Sacchi invests them with such warmth and gives them such a sensitive and colorful account that they sound brand new.Music Media Monthly, Rick Anderson
Floraleda Sacchi’s harp lends itself particularly well to the minimalist logic of Philip Glass.The Independent
The art of Floraleda, great virtuoso, transforms even the verbose in magical hypnosis.
Gian Maria Benzing, ViviMilano and Corriere della Sera
Sacchi excels here: she can spin a web of notes in the harp’s upper register, shaping them and keeping them distinct. She’s a fine player with a sense for how harp music lies right between the concert hall and the hotel salon, and she has a serious, deliberate approach that pulls in an interesting way against the expectations of lightness in the music.AllMusic, James Manheim
There’s something about the Zen-garden aspect of John Cage’s music that lends itself particularly well to these interpretations by the Italian harpist Floraleda Sacchi.The Independent
The music is tuneful, attractive, and full of feminine guile. Sacchi’s playing is warm and intuitive.All Music, Dave Lewis
This is splendid and important music, though, played in a winning and appealing way.Classical Net, Mark Sealey
It was interesting to listen to Floraleda Sacchi, soloist with a symphonic orchestra in a piece that exploits all her lyrical qualities and her impressive powerful sound.Nordkurier
Floraleda Sacchi is an accomplished harpist with a dynamic personality. She is energic, intelligent, enthusiastic and original. I am confident that these qualities contribute greatly to her success.Judith Liber, artistic director International Harp Contest, Israel
The young Italian harpist Floraleda Sacchi revealed a harp virtuoso. She seduced the audience with her clear and brilliant performance, which embraced three centuries of repertoire.Johann Vollmar, Oberbadisches Volksblatt
The concert [at Carnegie Hall – Weill Recital Hall] was nearly a musical ecstasy.A. Ciappino, America Oggi
Con Floraleda Sacchi l’arpa fa cantare Debussy [Danses pour Harpe et Orchestre]La Provincia, S. Lamon
I enjoyed working with Floraleda Sacchi on several occasions. She is an intelligent and well rounded musician. An excellent harpist, her musical and technical capabilities are at a high level and she plays with artistry and commitment.Judy Loman (Curtis Institute, Philadelphia, USA)
Accompaning Ottavia Piccolo, Floraleda Sacchi with her harp, that gave the feeling of being a burst of gunfire, the trickle of blood, the panting of a person.Anna de Marzo, Puglia Live
Minimal Harp gives a physical pleasure before still the intellectual one (but… are the two aspects separate?), and it demonstrates how much is still immense and inexhaustible the space offered to originality and to the free and authentic research. You are a great artist.Quirino Principe, Accademico di Santa Cecilia
This refined repertoire is now presented by talented harpist Floraleda Sacchi. For the occasion she used a period instrument sounding full and bright: the Sonatas are well delineated with total convincing style, with appreciable domain of technical difficulties.Claudio Bolzan, Musica
This is a seductive, rather than flamboyant, recital that offers surprising, albeit subtle, rewards to the open-minded listener.Art Lange, Fanfare
The project is perfectly harmonized and far away from every known thing, nearly an encounter with Flora, a creature of another dimension who has stolen all the music of the world to play it in a new way and with her curiosity and ability.Tommaso Labranca, Acid Jazz
Rachmaninoff springs to mind as a composer who was equally accomplished as a performer. It makes no sense comparing his work to that of Floraleda Sacchi, of course. But the mere fact that the CD Chiaroscuro has ended up more than just a dignified composing exercise certainly does not make it seem entirely out of place either.Tobias Fisher on Tokafi.comPhoto: Andrea Sirtori