Ottavia RINALDI

Ottavia Rinaldi was born in Messina. She started the study of the harp at the age of nine. In 2011 she graduated from the N.Rota Conservatory in Monopoli and in 2014 she achieved an Advanced degree in Music Disciplines at Soloist Address at the G.Verdi Conservatory in  Como with the highest marks under the guidance of Maestro Ester Gattoni. She specialized in the study of classical and jazz harp, obtaining the highest marks at the “2nd level Master” at the “Arrigo Boito Conservatory” in Parma where her Masters were: Emanuela Degli Esposti, Laura Papeschi, Marcella Carboni.

She took part in many national and international competitions, always ranking among the first places: 2nd Prize at the “De Harpe de la Cité des Arts de Paris” International Competition in Limoges – 1st Prize and Special Jury Prize for the Best Performance at the “La Vallonea International Competition” – 1st Prize at the “Città di Ostuni International Competition” – 1st Absolute Prize at the “Daniele Ridolfi National Competition” – 2nd Prize at the “U.F.A.M.”  in Paris.

In 2010 and 2013 she obtained eligibility for O.G.I. (Italian Youth Orchestra In 2013/2014 she qualified for the Final Selection of the EU.Y.O (European Youth Orchestra) and for the role of Prima Arpa at the “III Palermo Classica International Festival”. In 2017 she was finalist at the “Premio Massimo Urbani” in Camerino.

She attended many masterclasses with international Masters, such as Ester Gattoni, Margherita Bassani, Andreas Mildner, E. Fontain-Binoche, Catherine Michelle, Judith Liber, Park Stickney and Marcella Carboni. In 2015 and in 2017 she had two scholarships at the Nuoro Jazz seminars. In 2011 she took part in a project of Chamber Music directed by Maestro Domenico Di Leo, a teacher at the “N. Rota” Conservatory in Monopoli and organized by ISMEZ (National Institute for Musical Development in Southern Italy) playing in Tour in Monopoli, L’Aquila, Naples and Rome.

In 2010 she took part as a soloist in a Recital devoted to the poet Antonio Caldarella at the “Gibboni Film Festival”. She has been collaborating since 2014 with the orchestra of the Teatro Sociale di Como as Prima Arpa for “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Mascagni, “Milo, Maya and the world tour” by Franceschini; “Pagliacci” by Leoncavallo; “Madama Butterfly” by Puccini, “Nabucco” by Verdi, “Otello” by Verdi. In 2017 she took part in “Festival Pucciniano” in Torre del Lago. In 2020 she collaborated with the Orchestra Luigi Cherubini conducted by Riccardo Muti in “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci”.

She currently studies Jazz with Maestro Ramberto Ciammarughi at the “Filarmonica di Villadossola”.

She’s the founder, leader and composer of the “HarpBeat trio”, a jazz project formed by harp, bass and drums. Found in 2018, the group is still touring and has already joined several Italian jazz festivals such as “La Notte Bianca del jazz” in Como or the music event “Di cortile in cortile” in Misterbianco, Catania. Ottavia Rinaldi was chosen by Medinea to perform at the International Creation Sessions in Nuoro (2018) and Aix-en-Provence (2019). She also performed in a duo with the bass player Carlo Bavetta at the 2018 Jazz festival in Nuoro.

The HarpBeat trio was also a finalist at the 2021 JazzBeet Competition in Bonn.

Photo credit: Rosario Patanè