Anaelle Tourret, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Vasily Petrenko, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Bar Avni - Perspectives Concertantes

The French harpist Anaelle Tourret is set to release her second studio album, Perspectives concertantes, with a solo concerto by Reinhold Gliere, a concertino by Ernst von Dohnanyi and two dances by Claude Debussy.

Cliches about the harp being the instrument of angels and gods don't bother Anaelle Tourret, they're simply a part of it and undoubtedly have their (historic and cultural) reasons. There's this image of a harp, a 'salon' instrument, as something out of a fairy-tale. It's true, and it's part of our history, but it's not just that. I'd like to widen this perspective. Since the mid- 19th century, the harp has been established as a solo instrument in the concert hall, alongside orchestral accompaniment. That's why Tourret is now following up her celebrated CD debut of solo works with a recording of three concert works - a captivating listening experience with the potential to amaze.

Anaelle Tourret should be well known to concert audiences in northern Germany. Since 2017, she has been the Principal Harpist of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg, where she also - as the former winner of the Berenberg Culture Prize (2019) - holds a teaching position at the local music college. The master student of Xavier de Maistre has long been one of the leading harp soloists of her generation - and is a much sought-after guest in concert halls around the world from Lucerne to Berlin to Tokyo. Tourret's first foray into the recording studio in 2021 was equally successful: her album Perspectives with original works for solo harp by Andre Caplet, Paul Hindemith, Benjamin Britten and Heinz Holliger was nominated for the International Classical Music Award 2023.