Duo Aetheris - The Cathedral / Isabella Fabbri, saxophones Floraleda Sacchi, harp

Floraleda Sacchi

Floraleda Sacchi is considered by critics as one of the most remarkable and original harpists on the international music scene: "Floraleda invents a fascinating chapter in the modern history of the harp." (La Repubblica, Angelo Foletto); "Captivating interpretations" (The Independent); "Virtuosity is transformed into emotion and soul." (Il Sole 24 Ore); "A refined musicality, accompanied by a passionate and vigorous temperament." (El País).

She has won 16 awards at international competitions, a Latin Grammy in 2018 in the "Best Classical Album" category, as well as prestigious musical distinctions. In 2023, she was named Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

She has given over 1,000 solo concerts in major concert halls across four continents, notably at Carnegie Hall – Weill Recital Hall in New York (where she was invited by the IAF), the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Great Hall of the Mozarteum Foundation in Salzburg, the Sala Verdi and the Mahler Auditorium in Milan, the Gasteig in Munich, the Ehrbar Saal in Vienna, the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, and the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.

She has performed worldwide for RAI and has played live on numerous radio stations, including RAI, RSI, Radio France, Rádio Slovensko, and ABC Australia.

She has recorded over 40 albums for labels such as Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Universal, Brilliant Classics, Tactus, and Amadeus Arte. These recordings include concertos for harp and orchestra, chamber music, works for solo harp, and pieces combining harp with live electronics. Her albums have been acclaimed by critics and have appeared several times in music charts. She regularly exceeds one million listeners per year on streaming platforms.

She has premiered several concertos and dozens of composers have written works for her, including Claudia Montero, Nicola Campogrande, Cristina Carrara, Peter Machajdik, Manuel De Sica, and Howard Blake. She has also collaborated with Philip Glass, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Joe Hisaishi, Arvo Pärt, and many others.

She has composed music for theater and film. One of her best-known projects is the soundtrack for the theatrical show Donna non rieducabile, which was performed more than 190 times before being adapted by RAI 2 into a film selected and presented at the 66th Venice International Film Festival.

She won the Harpa Award in Prague for her work on Parish Alvars, a romantic composer for whom she is still considered the reference specialist today. She has also written articles dedicated to the rediscovery of the harp repertoire, published in major specialized journals such as the American Harp Journal, Harpa, and the World Harp Congress Review.

A harp professor at the "F. Torrefranca" Conservatory, she regularly gives international masterclasses and is frequently invited to participate in juries for international competitions.

Born in Como, she studied harp at the city's conservatory with Lisetta Rossi, before further refining her skills in Germany with Alice Giles, in the United States with Alice Chalifoux, and in Canada with Judy Loman.