Gabriella Dall'Olio

Born in Bologna, Italy, Gabriella studied in Italy, France and Germany with Pierre Jamet and Fabrice Pierre, Jaqueline Borot, Giselle Herbert and Anna Loro.

Gabriella began her music studies at the Conservatory of Bologna. As a student of Anna Loro, she received her harp diploma with Honours from the Conservatory of Verona. She continued her studies in France, with Jaqueline Borot and Pierre Jamet, who greatly influenced her musical development, and was awarded a scholarship by the French government at the Ecole Normale de Musique of Paris, as a student of Fabrice Pierre (harp) and Michael Hentz (chamber music). A scholarship by the German government provided the opportunity for her master studies at the Musikhochschule in Wurzburg, where she studied with Giselle Herbert, receiving her Meisterklassdiplom in 1994.

Now based in London, she continues to follow an international and high profile career, performing and teaching the harp. Captivating audiences around the globe, her critically acclaimed recordings span solo, chamber and orchestral works on the Claves, Koch, Stradivarius, Dal Segno and Ambitus labels, and she has also made many live recordings for French, German, Italian and Swiss Radio. Her wide and varied repertoire covers most solo, concertos, chamber music repertoire, as well as orchestral works (symphonic, operatic and ballet). Internationally active as a soloist and chamber musician, Gabriella has given recitals and concerts throughout Europe, USA, and the Far and Middle East. She also freelances with some of the most outstanding UK and European orchestras: the Vienna Philharmonic, Vienna State Opera, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the English Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Conductors she works with include Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Mariss Jansons, Valery Gergiev, Simon Rattle, Lorin Maazel, Sir Colin Davis, Antonio Pappano, Bernard Haitink, Seiji Osawa, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, amongst countless others.

As well as her work as Head of Harp at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, and her recent appointment at Chethams School of Music in Manchester UK, Gabriella gives masterclasses and harp courses as well as orchestral courses in Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, Singapore, Tasmania and Australia. She has also been a jury member in competitions (BBC Young Musician of the Year [strings final]; F. Godefroid International Harp Competition in Belgium,  Arpaplus in Spain and the North London Competition).

Furthermore, she is actively involved in community music projects, ranging from babies of a few months old to elderly people, hospitals and special needs schools. Her wide experience of teaching all ages and all backgrounds reflects her commitment to music-making at the highest international level, not only in the solo scene but also chamber music and orchestral, and community work and cross-collaborations. Gabriella and choreographer Susan Sentler work together with dancers and harpists to promote new explorations between movement, sounds, and shapes.

Gabriella has performed important works of the solo contemporary repertoire as well as premiering and commissioning many others (Jackson, Be Not Afeared, Benati, Marson XL, Perga, Thomas, Streak, etc). She has worked extensively with Gruppo Musica Insieme di Cremona, the iconinc group of Luciano Berio and Cathy Berberian, Avanguardia 80, and the German contemporary music group Kontraste. She has worked with composers on writing for the harp in BBC composers workshops, courses (Orkney Festival), and has given classes in composing for harp. She has also appeared regularly and recorded with distinguished chamber ensembles like the Vienna Virtuosi, Divertissement Ensemble, and the Holst Singers.

Future performances include Debussy’s Dances Sacree et Prophane and Introduction and Allegro by Ravel in Italy, solo recitals in Italy and Spain, as well as concerts at Kings Place, and tours with various UK Orchestras. Recent solo concerts include an Italian tour and several recitals in the UK, as well as performances of Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto together with Flutist Anna Noakes and the London Virtuosi, and solo and chamber music performances with the Gabrieli Consort.

She has also played with Tina Turner on television in occasion of her 60th Birthday Concert, and with Sting, Phil Collins, Elton John at the RAH in London, Kazabian, the Pet Shop Boys, Faith SFX and 3X world champion DJ Switch.

Gabriella has earned considerable recognition and has been supported by the Swiss Fund ‘Junge Kunstler’. She is also the winner of numerous prizes, awards and scholarships, including the 1989 Victor Salvi Competition, Italy, and the Junge Kunstler Prize, Switzerland.