Calling Vincenzo Zitello a harp virtuoso is truly limiting. His fame has deservedly spread beyond national borders for some time now. Numerous albums and concerts under his belt, and more to come, confirm his well-deserved success, but above all, his great passion for his unusual chosen instrument. Born in Modena in 1956, he is a multi-instrumentalist and a student of the French harpist Alan Stivell, with whom he also collaborated, as well as with Fabrizio De André, Alice, Tosca and many others. His latest album, the 14th, is titled Grail and was released in 2024 on the label Telenn.
The delight of his live performances lies not only in the atmosphere he creates by masterfully moving his ten fingers along the harp strings, but also in the fact that Zitello empathizes with his audience like few others, describing the pieces he plays with the right grace, contextualizing the artists he performs, and managing to explain even to non-experts the incredible instruments he uses. Seeing is believing, perhaps by checking out his upcoming dates on his website. https://www.vincenzozitello.it .
The last live meeting in Veneto took place in the Vighesso municipal auditorium in Tombolo, in the Padua area, organised by Vannuccio Zanella, the soul of GT MusicOn stage, in addition to Zitello, the violinist from Viterbo Fulvio Renzi, another no mean virtuoso of his instrument. He is also the author of six solo albums and several collaborations with top-level musicians such as Bruce Springsteen, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd or Ryuichi Sakamoto. A perfect musical understanding, the one between the violinist Renzi and the harpist Zitello, where the two instruments merge to become a single magical sound.
He often plays alone, why is Vincenzo Zitello now touring with a violinist?
Well, it's about bringing something new, not just something new, but something with substance. Fulvio Renzi has been working with me since 1998, and has collaborated on a lot of albums, at least 13. It is said that we have a good musical relationship.
It is also said that the harp is not a simple instrument, is that true?
No, it's not, but you know, I've been playing it for 50 years, eh! It seems easy to see, but after half a century it's part of me, it's an extension of my thoughts and my handsWell, that's it for now. As long as God gives me that chance.
For the uninitiated, what is the difference between the two types of harp playing?
One is called bardic harp, it has all the metal strings and in slang it is called Clarsach. Then there is the other one, the more modern one, which could resemble a classical harp or a Tyrolean one, or even a South American one, in short, the harp “of the world” It's more like this. The bardic instrument, however, is truly special and is also very difficult to play.
Out of curiosity, why is it said to be the most feminine instrument in classical music?
Maybe it's a matter of attention, It's a tool that needs a lot of attention, a lot of sensitivity, and then it's thought that a woman has much more sensitivity than a man, in terms of attention, and in fact that's understandable. But it's also a cultural issue and even a bit of a historical one.
You've played with many important musicians. Which one do you remember most fondly?
I'd say Franco Battiato and Ivano Fossati. They are the ones that in my opinion areThey have been more interesting for my personal, human and even life development.
What is Vincenzo Zitello working on now?
I'm preparing a Orpheus; it's a new work linked above all to sensitive dance, a new project. Then certainly an album for the 50 years of my career with the harp, with all the most important pieces played only on the harp. In short, a bit of the best of my musical cycle.
