Xavier de Maistre is  hailed in musical circles as an artist who releases the harp from the silky textures – admirable enough, but often soporific – to which it is too often confined. In the hands of a virtuoso, the harp can successfully rival the piano.

Xavier de Maistre began studying the harp at the local conservatory in his home town of Toulon. He subsequently went on to perfect his playing with Jacqueline Borot and Catherine Michel in Paris, while at the same time studying politics and economics at Sciences-Po Paris and at the London School of Economics. In 1998 he was awarded the 1st prize and two interpretation prizes at the prestigious USA International Harp Competition (Bloomington). The same year he was appointed to the coveted position of solo harpist of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a soloist, Xavier de Maistre appears regularly in all the leading concert halls in Europe, Asia and North America, while also performing with many prestigious orchestras under the direction of such eminent conductors as André Previn, Heinrich Schiff, Antoni Ros-Marba, Walter Weller, Christoph Poppen, Josep Pons, Bertrand de Billy and Philippe Jordan. In May 2002 he became the first harpist in the history of the Vienna Philharmonic to perform a solo concerto.

Xavier de Maistre is a regular and welcome visitor to the world’s leading music festivals, including the Schleswig-Holstein Festival, the Salzburg Festival, the Schubertiade, the Rheingau Festival, the Vienna Festival and the city’s Osterklang Festival, the Budapest Spring Festival, the Styriarte and the Würzburg Mozart Festival. He has appeared on the recital platform with Kathleen Battle, Diana Damrau, Bo Skovhus, Barbara Bonney, Ingolf Turban and Andras Adorjan as well as with the actors Peter Simonischek, Miguel Herz-Kestranek and Andrea Jonasson.

Xavier de Maistre was appointed professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg in 2001 and gives regularly masterclasses at the Julliard School New York, the Toho University Tokyo, the Shanghai Conservatory and the Trinity College in London.

Xavier de Maistre has previously recorded for Harmonia Mundi and Claves. In 2008 he takes up an exclusive recording contract with Sonymusic.