Episode 10: Caroline Léonardelli, harp
Venez rencontrer la famille !
Comme vous le savez sans doute, l'Orchestre symphonique d'Ottawa est une communauté de musiciens locaux passionnés par la grande musique qu'ils jouent pour notre ville. Composés d'étudiants brillants de l'École de musique de l'Université d'Ottawa, de musiciens talentueux issus de la communauté et de professionnels dévoués travaillant à plein temps, nos musiciens se font un plaisir de vous offrir un son exceptionnel.
Il est temps que vous rencontriez la famille. Dans notre 10e émission de la série ReJOYce Web, nous vous offrons la première d'une série d'occasions de rencontrer les membres de notre orchestre. Ils vous accueilleront chez eux et partageront avec vous leur musique et leurs histoires personnelles.
Rencontrez Caroline Léonardelli, harpiste solo de l'Orchestre symphonique d'Ottawa. Caroline est une musicienne professionnelle, une enseignante et une artiste renommée. Elle vient de sortir son dernier enregistrement, Serenata, un hommage à ses racines italiennes, qui a été acclamé par les critiques.
A propos de Caroline Léonardelli
Caroline Léonardelli est une harpiste classique qui poursuit, à l’échelle mondiale, une carrière fructueuse de soliste, musicienne de chambre, musicienne d’orchestre et professeure. Son disque El Dorado lui a valu une nomination aux prix JUNO pour le meilleur album classique de l’année, catégorie solo et musique de chambre. Son dernier disque pour harpe solo, Impressions de France, a été choisi par Apple Music comme l’un des dix meilleurs enregistrements de harpe au monde dans le cadre de sa chronique consacrée à cet instrument.
Le magazine Harp Column a décrit Caroline comme « harpiste de premier ordre » et la critique a qualifié ses concerts de « brillants » et « extraordinaires ». Selon le Classical Music Sentinel ses interprétations sont empreintes d’une sorte de magie. Ses enregistrements et ses concerts ont été présentés sur CBC‒Radio-Canada, via le réseau NPR et des radios classiques partout aux États-Unis, au Canada, en Europe et en Asie.
Née en France, Caroline a décroché le premier prix de harpe au Conservatoire de Paris à l’âge de 18 ans, et a obtenu un diplôme d’artiste de l’Université McGill. Elle a eu pour mentor la Grande Dame de la harpe Lily Laskine, ainsi que Jacqueline Borot et plus récemment la grande harpiste américaine Kathleen Bride, directrice de la classe de harpe à l’Eastman School of Music.
Parmi ses concerts récents, citons ceux à Carnegie Hall, au Festival of the Sound, à Ottawa Chamberfest, au festival Musique et autres mondes, au Women’s Musical Club of Toronto, et la liste est longue.
Caroline est harpiste solo des orchestres d’Ottawa et de Gatineau.
Elle a été également l’invitée des orchestres de Montréal, Québec, Symphony Nova Scotia, Kitchener Waterloo, et Centre National des Arts du Canada.
Come, Meet the Family!
As you likely know, the Ottawa Symphony is a community of local musicians passionate about playing great music for our city. Made up of high-achieving students from the University of Ottawa School of Music, talented community players, and dedicated full-time professionals, our musicians revel in bringing you great sound.
It’s time you met the family. In our 10th episode of the ReJOYce Web series, we bring you the first of a number of opportunities to meet our orchestra members. They’ll welcome you into their homes, and share with you some of their music and their personal stories.
Meet Caroline Léonardelli, Ottawa Symphony principal harpist. Caroline is a professional musician, teacher and award-winning recording artist, and has just released her latest recording to critical acclaim, Serenata, a tribute to her Italian roots.
About Caroline Léonardelli
Caroline Léonardelli concert harpist and recording artist is a renowned soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. Caroline’s solo recording El Dorado received a JUNO Award nomination in the category of Classical Album of the Year solo or small ensemble. Her second solo recording Impressions de France has been selected by Apple Music editors for their feature worldwide on the instrument featuring ten harpists. Caroline’s recently released Serenata has received exceptional critical acclaim.
Born in France, Caroline graduated with first prize in harp from the Paris Conservatoire under the guidance of Jacqueline Borot at the age of 18. During her youth, Caroline studied in France with Lily Laskine, one of the most celebrated harpists of the 20th century. After arriving in Canada Caroline completed an Artist Diploma at McGill University School of Music.
Caroline’s recordings and live performances have been featured on CBC Radio, NPR Classical 24 network and Classical stations throughout the USA, Canada, Europe and Asia. Caroline’s live radio performances include interviews and performances on PBS/NPR radio’s Backstage Pass series.
Caroline received a Canada Council for the Arts Mid Career Award for program development with Kathleen Bride at the Eastman School of Music. The Evergreen Wishes CBC produced concert of the Ottawa Children's Choir, featuring Caroline performing John Rutter's Dancing Day received a Gabriel Award.
Caroline has been described as a “World Class Harpist” in Harp Column Magazine, and her live performances have been reviewed as “Brilliant” and “Outstanding”. Caroline’s latest recording Senenata was reviewed by Remy Franck in his Pizzicato publication where he noted, “Serenata is one of the most beautiful harp CDs I have ever heard, and it will melt every heart.”
Caroline is Principal harp with Ottawa symphony as well as Gatineau Symphony Orchestra.
She has performed with many Canadian orchestras such as Montreal Symphony, Quebec Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia , Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, and Canada National Art Center orchestra to name a few .
New Release: Serenata
“Serenata, my final project, features Italian repertoire and represents the final aspect of my heritage (El Dorado and Impressions de France addressed my French and Canadian background). I am very excited about how the recording sessions turned out and want to share the music!” — Caroline Léonardelli
Review of Serenata in Pizzicato by Remy Franck
"Caroline Léonardelli has a perfect command of the timbres and expressive shades of her instrument and combines this with an extremely rich creative imagination. Her playing does not stop at elegance and fluid virtuosity, she manages to let the music sound wonderfully rich in nuances. She gives each piece an unmistakable character and thus fascinates the listener for an hour. Serenata is one of the most beautiful harp CDs I have ever heard, and it will melt every heart."
(Full review: https://www.pizzicato.lu/caroline-leonardellis-zauberhafter-harfenklang/)
Curators | Nos conservateurs
Dr. David Gardner
Ottawa Symphony Historian | Historien de l’ Orchestre symphonique d’ Ottawa
Alain Trudel
Ottawa Symphony Music Director | directeur musicale
The Emergency Relief Fund of the Musicians’ Association of Local 180 (Ottawa-Gatineau) supports local musicians affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic.
To help, go to: ma180.org