We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alisa Sadikova. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alisa below.

Alisa , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

In my life, there have been many interesting projects right from the start of my journey with the harp when I began playing at the age of 6. At the age of 7, I performed for the first time at Carnegie Hall. By the age of 8, I was already playing harp concertos with orchestras, under the baton of renowned conductors like Vladimir Spivakov and Yuri Temirkanov. My first solo concert of an hour and a half was at the age of 9. At 11, I recorded my first CD.

I have performed in many halls, the most famous of which are Stern Auditorium—Perelman Stage in Carnegie Hall, New York, USA; the Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria; Large Hall of the Tonhalle in Zürich, Switzerland; Crocus City Hall, Moscow; City Recital Hall in Sydney, Australia, and many others. I participated as a soloist and played a concerto for harp and orchestra, which was specially written for my performance at the congress in Australia, “Le Barde Muet” by Bernard Andrés with the Australian Metropolitan Orchestra conducted by Rowan Martin, at the World Harp Congresses in Sydney (2014). I had the honor of performing again as a soloist at the congress in Hong Kong (2017).

But the most memorable project for me was the tour with Sarah Brightman on the Royal Christmas Gala tour in 2017, where I performed as a soloist across various European countries. The tour, which ran from November to December, featured over 25 concerts in 16 countries. Alongside Sarah Brightman, the tour included performances by Gregorian, Mario Frangoulis, Narcis Ianau, and Fernando Varela.

We performed almost every day in enormous halls with audiences of 11-15 thousand people. Despite the long travels and few hours of sleep, I never felt tired. Instead, I felt joy and pleasure performing and being on stage with such great artists.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Celebrated for her “unbelievably beautiful musicianship” (Classical FM) prodigy harpist Alisa Sadikova has established a reputation as a celebrated soloist, winning many international competitions and performing at concert halls around the globe, including Carnegie Hall and the Vienna State Opera. Her latest solo album Harp Constellation was released last year to critical acclaim.

I am a classical harpist born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. I have established a reputation as a world-renowned soloist, winning many international competitions including the Prize Yuri Temirkanov, the Foundation V. Spivakov, and the Guzik Foundation grant. I have performed internationally as a soloist at the World Harp Congresses in Sydney and Hong Kong, am an ambassador for Lyon & Healy, and was featured in the international Royal Christmas Gala tour with Sarah Brightman. I have recorded and released five CDs; my latest solo album, Harp Constellation, was released in 2023.

As a soloist, I have performed with orchestras in over 25 countries in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Vienna State Opera, and countless others. I have an active YouTube channel amassing millions of views, and I have participated in online projects dedicated to Michael Jackson, Karpur Gauram, and Global Youth D2D Destiny Foundation.

I began my studies at the Special Music School of Saint Petersburg Conservatory with Karina Maleeva under maestro Vladimir Spivakov’s sponsorship. I went on to attend Musica Mundi High School in Waterloo, Belgium, with Catherine Michel under the Salvi Foundation Scholarship. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree at the Juilliard School in New York City with Nancy Allen under the Guzik Foundation grant.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Performing, being on stage. After all, music is not just about going on stage and playing without mistakes. By performing on stage, we give the audience emotions and try to convey the meaning of the piece we are playing. Yes, of course, each piece has its technical difficulties and style, which depend on the composer and the time when he lived. But also, each piece contains the composer’s own experiences, emotions, and a story. When I play, I imagine the story in detail and, recalling certain memories from my life, drawing on my own experiences, I feel these emotions better and convey them to the audience. This could be joy, sadness, fear, sorrow, delight, and so on. We give all our energy and share our story with the audience. And if the audience feels this during our performance, if they experience some emotions through your playing, then that is what we play for.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

My mother. She is the wisest, smartest, and most beautiful person who has endured so much in life. She has always been a role model for me and has instilled a love for music in me since childhood.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisa_harp/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/alisa.sadikova.1/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPkRwor2ocxWr8KQjzgCL4Q/about
• Other: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alisa_Sadikova

Image Credits

Performance at Carnegie Hall, from the tour with Sarah Brightman, me 8 years old ( first performance with an orchestra Vladimir Spivakov, my recital in Italy (11 years old), recent photos of me)