By Claudia Stocchi
Music is the word that has been with me all my life. I remember the day when, entering the Church of San Cassiano in Venice with my grandfather, I was enraptured by an elegant, mysterious, almost magical instrument: the harp. It was love at first sight, and I have never left it since.
My parents, cultured and passionate about art, supported me right away. They gave me everything they could, even if my mother left too soon, leaving me just twenty years old. With her and my father I had the biggest fans, together with my sister Benedetta, my all-time ally.Since I was a child I was told that I was “big, beautiful and strong”. My mother reminded me that my sensitivity was not a defect, but a precious gift. And he was right: it is that sensitivity that makes me passionate and intense, eager to live by grasping all that life offers me.
Music and discipline (choices and challenges)
Music for me has always been a choice, but also a challenge. The years at the Conservatory and the Academy of Rome taught me how much commitment, perseverance and courage were necessary. Sometimes I was offered very difficult songs to test myself: yet, despite my doubts, my stubborn character pushed me to always try.
Even sport, practiced as a girl, taught me discipline and sacrifice. The victories and defeats in the pool have turned into a force that I have brought into the music.
Harp is a complex instrument, which requires time, strength and involves the whole body – hands, feet, head and heart. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world: it has given me so much and, although it has taken a lot from me, it gives me back the best part of myself every time. In concerts and ceremonies, a unique atmosphere is created, a silent dialogue with the listener, made up of breaths and unrepeatable vibrations.
Resilience and rebirths
Life has put me in front of difficult trials. In recent years I have faced ten surgeries, moments of pain and the fear of having to give up music. Artists are often not understood as sportsmen, and this made me feel fragile and alone. Then I met two extraordinary doctors: Dr. Paolo Dolci and Professor Matteo Guzzini, who believed in me and in my right to continue playing.
On February 3, 2025, I experienced the hardest moment: a fall compromised my left thumb, a fundamental limb for a harpist. It seemed like the end of everything. And instead, Professor Guzzini had the courage to propose an operation never attempted before on a musician: the implantation of a trapezius-metacarpal prosthesis. On March 6, I underwent the operation and, thanks to his trust and determination, I faced a long and tiring rehabilitation. In June 2025 I returned to play. It was a rebirth: a pure emotion, like the first time I stroked the strings as a child.
In this journey I also found the support of Pietro Morbidelli, a harp maker, who gave me “Infinita”, a special instrument that I carry in my heart. The scars I carry with me do not scare me: they tell my story, they are my wealth.
Believing in Orsula
Today I continue to live music with gratitude and passion. I feel like a phoenix that every time falls, burns and then is reborn stronger.
I believe in Orsula. I believe in the music that I carry inside and that I want to share with anyone who knows how to stop and listen. My dream is to bring the harp to big stages, but above all to convey a simple and universal message: art teaches us to slow down, to feel, to live more intensely.
Final dedication
This rebirth of mine would not have been possible without meeting extraordinary people who made the impossible possible.
Professor Matteo Guzzini, with the courage and vision of implanting a trapezoidal-metacarpal prosthesis never used before on a harpist, gave back to my hand – and to my life – the possibility of continuing to play. His constant search for new surgical techniques, less invasive and more respectful of people, is a precious gift not only for musicians, but also for athletes, workers and artists who face similar challenges.
Next to him, Dr. Paolo Dolci, who with competence and humanity accompanied me in many battles, and Pietro Morbidelli, who with his harp “Infinita” rekindled my desire to play.
My deepest gratitude goes to them: my resilience and my rebirths also bear their name.
Finally, a special thanks goes to my daughters Elena and Anna, who have always believed in me and have encouraged me to give the best of myself, even in the most difficult moments.
