Isabelle Moretti

Since the start of her rich career, Isabelle Moretti has represented the French school of harp playing throughout the world. Under her fingers, the instrument reveals the full extent of its immense – and sometimes even unexpected – expressive potential. ‘Beauty of sound, perfection of style, depth of eloquence’: the words of composer Philippe Hersant sum up the qualities of a performer whose curiosity embraces a vast repertoire, from the eighteenth century to the music of today.

Isabelle Moretti’s keen awareness of ecological issues also links her to the contemporary period. ‘The earth, the silent being of which we are one of the living expressions, conceals permanent values made up of what is most lacking: the right cadence, the flavour of cycles and patience’: the artist makes Pierre Rabhi’s phrase her own, and can only conceive of her mission as a musician as closely associated with defending and sharing the convictions that drive her. The poetic tale ‘Parole de terre’, based on the book by the same author, and her show ‘La harpe et la bête’, in which the harp resonates with Vincent Munier’s animal photographs, are vibrant illustrations of this.

Isabelle Moretti’s need to share also translates into special collaborations with musicians with whom she has a particular affinity, such as Juliette Hurel, Magali Mosnier, the Ebène Quartet, Dame Felicity Lott, and the oboist and conductor François Leleux, with whom she had the pleasure of playing Mozart’s famous concerto for flute and harp.

Her passion for teaching is perfectly fulfilled, as she teaches at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de la Musique et de la Danse in Paris and is a guest lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She also enjoys travelling the world and meeting young people from all cultures through her many master classes.

Isabelle Moretti is an Officier de l’Ordre National du Mérite and an Officier des Arts et des Lettres.