As a child, Chiara Capobianco wanted to follow her older sister’s lead in playing the flute. And so she did. She played the musical stick along with Sabrina in marching bands around their native Milano, Italy. She evidently played so well that she was encouraged to pursue a musical career even in the tenderness of a single digit age.
Soon enough she was encouraged to apply for admission at the prestigious Conservatorio di Milano. To receive the benefit of graduation however, a commitment of ten years to the studies and lessons were required at the time of enrollment.
The application process required a choice of three possibilities for the instrument of instruction. She selected her three in this order: flute, piano, and harp. Flute, because this is what she really wanted; piano, because this was a popular choice and seemed like a safe bet. The harp idea was suggested as a possibility for the third choice because it was less popular and perhaps could swing the enrollment acceptance her way.
Well of course. The harp choice opened the door! Soon she was immersed into the role of being an embryonic harpist. But, could she come to relish that somewhat foreign instrument?
The harp is certainly not a foreign instrument to musicians or the world of music. It has roots in ancient Mesopotamia, Persia, Africa, and Asia. The instrument, in one form or another has proliferated with acceptance throughout Europe, and on to the New World too, with today’s major harp manufacturers being located in Europe and the USA.
Little Chiara’s willing acceptance of this comparatively imposing instrument soon led to her forming heartstrings to its legacy and its capacity. As she progressed through the years to graduate as a master harpist she found herself so fully entwined with this third-choice instrument that it graduated to first place in her heart; and off she went to make her way in the world as a sophisticated harpist.
Always having a repressed wanderlust, she could now fulfill her dreams of world travel with her music career being the ticket. First stop: London, where she landed her first gig just days after her arrival. Later she accepted the position of an entertainer in the cruise ship industry and for seven years she plied ‘the seven seas.’
Later stints found her in Asia and the Americas. She now calls San Diego home and from this base she traverses throughout Southern California to perform for small events and major productions.
Chiara has also taken up the honor of passing the torch. She teaches the art, not only of loving the harp, but if Igor Stravinsky is correct, of spending a lifetime tuning their harpstrings.
Her own harp collection ranges from simple strings up to a performance harp made of carbon fibre materials, and even further up to her elegant concert harp which is used for special performances. Visit her at chiaracapobianco.com.
Chiara Capobianco – Strings of the Heart | ARTSource America Volume 8
