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Exploring the Life of Rita CostanziDemure, as in stature and demonstrative, in her musical profession and passion for living in the present, are the words that come to mind when meeting internationally recognized harp soloist, actor, writer, and teacher Rita Costanzi in person.Costanzi recently did what no other woman has done: make history with her personal story, act on stage with a full dramatic script, and accompany herself as a classical harp soloist. Her story, Woman on a Ledge, is Costanzi’s journey of self-discovery, conflict, pain, love, and art. She fought the constraints of Old-World Italian female obligations and now lives a vibrant life as a survivor.Woman on a Ledge: A Journey of TransformationThe messages in Woman on a Ledge are touching the hearts of women and men all over the world as they become spectators of what Costanzi lived through in an abusive marriage. She is now free from that previous life, sharing her message of hope and life after pain. Rita Costanzi in Woman on a Ledge at the Theater for the New City. Courtesy theaterforthenewcity.netEarly Life and Musical BeginningsCostanzi was born in Rochester, New York, the daughter of prominent violist Francis Tursi, a professor at the Eastman School of Music. Tursi, an educated and noted musician, recognized Costanzi’s talent at three when she first played the piano by ear. Both of her parents were nurturing, not overbearing. Costanzi internalized the pressure of growing up with a famous father who was a brilliant musician and a revered philosopher at The Eastman School.“When I would walk down the hall, people would say, ‘There’s Rita Tursi, daughter of Francis Tursi, the famous violist.’”Costanzi said she would do anything to please him, but he didn’t put weight on her to succeed. She did it herself.“Every time I walked on stage, I thought if I make a mistake, I am desecrating my father’s famous name,” Costanzi said. “That was the pressure.”Musical Education and Early CareerAfter leaving the Eastman School, Costanzi received a grant to continue her musical education in Paris, where she studied under Jacqueline Borot. Her father may have seen the writing on the wall when warning Costanzi about whom she was to marry. She got married anyway. She won the Principal Harp in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, which caused resentment from her husband, led to her financial dependence on him when she stopped working, and ultimately, her divorce.“While all my girlfriends and colleagues had expensive nannies and stayed in the orchestra, I stayed at home for the benefit of her children,” Costanzi said. She often said, “A career can wait.”Overcoming AdversityHer financial dependence led her to stay in a destructive marriage for 15 years longer than she should have. Still, she said, “The day that the fear of being out on my own financially was less than the fear of being in his anger and abuse is the day I left the marriage.”With courage and strong convictions, Costanzi divorced in 2014. She was destitute, but she found her inner strength to continue. She relied on her strong faith and knew God controlled her future path. This change, this surrender, allowed Costanzi to fulfill her destiny, which she is living today.Wisdom from the Journey“Many people quit because the going gets rough,” Costanzi said. “They quit when success is right around the corner.” Her friends are celebrating her success as they admire what she has done. She pointed out what Woody Allen once remarked: that to be a success, you must show up. Costanzi continued to show up despite untold defeats and challenges. Rita Costanzi, Harpist. Courtesy ritacostanzi.comWoman on a Ledge: The Stage ProductionIn 2018, Costanzi started work on the script for Woman on a Ledge, which entailed editing, refining, and rewriting until it was the perfect platform for her story, which ran off-Broadway this year. At the 2021 Sunflower Festival in Topeka, Kansas, many women wept in her arms after producing Woman on a Ledge, claiming her story was cathartic for what many had gone through like her.Moonlight in the Bronx: A DocumentaryShe also produced a documentary, Moonlight in the Bronx, which won the 2020 Hershey Felder Presents Arts Prize Competition. The story was a captivating memorial to Ludwig Van Beethoven and the victims of the Coronavirus.Words of AdviceWhen Costanzi was asked for advice based on her life experiences, she said, “Follow your passion. Follow your heart. Do not let people with a logical left brain talk you out of what your supreme desire and passion are.”Costanzi remarked that playing the harp was her vocation. When she worked on Woman on a Ledge, she gave up cushy jobs with salary, title, and fame. She didn’t want to teach or please anyone else. She wanted to fulfill her destiny, and at 70, she is doing just that and successfully attaining her dreams.“I tell my students worldwide, don’t fulfill someone else’s idea of what you should be doing. Fulfill what is speaking in your heart,” Costanzi said. “Fulfill what your star of destiny radiates to you, and come hell or high water, you follow that.”“Live now. Rejoice.”Costanzi is living by her rules, rejoicing, and enjoying the present. She may not know her future, but she continues showing up and giving the world everything she can.Readers may also enjoy Woman on a Ledge, Robert Will Show You the Door (Tales of Being Fired) by Susan Jeremy, and An Evening with Lee Asher. Read the full article