Harp

Luiza Mintsaeva

In the orchestra since 2024

She was born in Moscow in the family of an opera singer, soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia. She started studying music at the age of four, trying different directions, and chose the harp at the age of nine. In 2014, Luisa Mintsaeva graduated from the Chopin Moscow State College of Musical Performance (harp class of the People’s Artist of Russia, Professor Emilia Moskvitina), and later the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory (in 2019 — the major course, in 2022 — an assistant internship, the class of Professor Emilia Moskvitina, academic research in the field of Musical Psychology — the class of Professor Marina Starcheus).

She is the laureate of international competitions, including the Concerto Virtuoso International Competition (First Prize, Moscow, 2018), the 9th Savshinsky International Competition (St Petersburg, 2018), the 19th International Harp Competition in Israel (Akko, 2015) and many others.

She was also awarded the Audience Award ‘Public Harp Winner’ of the Moscow Harp Festival. Since 2016, she has been participating in the project of the St Petersburg House of Music The River of Talents. She is the laureate of the award of the ‘Creating the Future’ Charity Foundation for achievements in the development of Russian art and education.

In 2021, she was invited to be a member of the jury of the international Rocky Mountain Music Competition and Red Maple Music Competition in Canada, in 2022 she was a member of the jury of the 1st International Competition ‘Territory of Creativity’ (Moscow).

In 2010, she became a soloist of the Nikolaev Youth Symphony Orchestra of Russia. Since 2015, she has worked at the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theatre, and since 2016, she has been a guest soloist of The Elements project in the Nordic Pulse Ensemble conducted by Kristjan Järvi (Estonia). From 2018 to 2019, she was a guest soloist of the orchestra of the M. Jalil Tatar Opera and Ballet Theatre (Kazan). In 2019, she became the concertmaster of the harp group of the Moscow State Academic Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pavel Kogan. Since 2022, she has been a soloist at the Pushkin Nizhny Novgorod Opera Theatre and the La Voce Strumentale Orchestra conducted by Dmitry Sinkovsky. Since 2023, she has been performing as a member of the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble. Since 2024 she has been a soloist of the musicAeterna orchestra conducted by Teodor Currentzis.

She conducts active concert activities at the best venues in Russia (Zaryadye, Mariinsky Theatre, Moscow Conservatory, Moscow Philharmonic, GES-2 and many others). She has performed at the international venues in Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia.

Since 2020, she has engaged in the development of vibroacoustic harp therapy (VAAT). She has developed a unique methodology together with leading experts in the field of Psychology (Lomonosov Moscow State University) and Physiology (Pavlov Research Institute, Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia).

HOW DID YOU COME TO BE A MUSICIAN?

My father is an opera singer, at the zenith of his career he was a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre and a professor at the Moscow Conservatory. My mother is not a musician, but it was she who did not want what she thought to be boring office work for my brother and me and directed us towards a career in music. My elder brother was trained as a saxophonist, arranger and conductor. I did not start the harp immediately, it was only after not particularly inspiring piano and flute lessons. Finally, at one of the concerts at the music school, I heard the harp and realized that it was 'my instrument'. From the very first lesson, it was easy and understandable for me, besides, I was lucky to have a teacher, to whom I am grateful to this day.

PLEASE TELL ABOUT YOUR FIRST PERFORMANCE WITH MUSICAETERNA

I have been following the activities of musicAeterna for a very long time: Teodor Currentzis and his orchestra seemed unattainable to me. However, last year in spring I had the honour to work with Teodor as part of La Voce Strumentale orchestra. We played Berio, Nikodijevic and Mendelssohn. It was at that time when I was shocked by the Maestro's powerful energy and the depth of his knowledge. Teodor was extremely attentive both to the scores and to each of the musicians. I enjoyed the rehearsals and grasped everything Teodor wanted to hear from me and my colleagues. In those moments, I felt like we were doing something truly important. It was very inspiring.

WHAT COMPOSITIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO PERFORM?

A huge amount of music has been written for the solo harp, however, the authors are mostly little-known harp players. Some of them are quite noteworthy, for example, Henriette Renié — a bright performer and composer who lived and worked in the first half of the 20th century. Among harpists, her music is appreciated as the pinnacle of mastery of the instrument. Not so long ago, I performed a full-fledged programme of harp compositions of the 20th and 21st centuries ranging from Hindemith and Britten to Glass. I love modern music and 'collect' moments when in the concert programme, next to the compositions that I play, the indication 'Russian premiere' appears.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

Lately, I've been introducing regular workouts into my life. I prefer soft sports: yoga, pilates, and dancing. I noticed how the quality of my playing has changed and my endurance has increased. I am fascinated by the concept of kalokagathia, when a person strives to improve the internal and external sides of the personality at the same time. I also like to walk around the city and gaze at the architecture. It makes me sad to see monumental buildings in the Stalinist Empire style are adjacent to panel new buildings hung all over with advertisements — I do not like such eclecticism. I walk alone more often: it seems important to me to periodically stay alone with yourself and your thoughts, taking a break from any communication. I like to ride a scooter around the city and do it quite briskly, as Gogol once wrote, 'What Russian does not enjoy a fast ride!'

WHAT MAKES YOUR INSTRUMENT SPECIAL?

In the last years of my studies at the conservatory I took interest in psychology and in harp therapy. I wrote a research paper on this topic at the time of my internship and started running a YouTube channel where I share musical meditations. Harp therapy is a special method of therapeutic influence on a person through the natural physical vibrations and music. Research by foreign experts has shown that using this technique it is possible to produce a positive impact on the psychophysiological state of a person, for example, to help them get rid of insomnia, headaches, reduce anxiety and mitigate stress.

IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE A SINGLE PIECE OF MUSIC?

If I were choosing one piece out of the entire history of music, I would choose Arvo Pärt's Für Alina. This work is written in the technique of tintinnabuli and has a very unusual form. When listening to it, you get the feeling that you are in a temple, and at the same time that this temple is inside you. This composition can both inspire and soothe. I was so fascinated by this miniature musical fresco that I conducted a full-fledged analysis for my research work. For me, Für Alina embodies a calm connection with God. It is a prayer without words.