Maistre began studying the harp in his hometown conservatory in Toulon at the age of nine.

Later that same year, Maistre became the first French musician to join the ranks of the prestigious Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

As a soloist, Maistre has appeared with numerous orchestras under the baton of such eminent conductors as Riccardo Muti, Daniele Gatti, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir André Prévin, Heinrich Schiff, Antoni Ros-Marbà, Bertrand de Billy, Walter Weller, Gilbert Varga, Josep Pons and Philippe Jordan, amongst others.

Among the musical artists he has performed with are Kathleen Battle, Ingolf Turban, Anne Gastinel, Diana Damrau and Barbara Bonney; he has as well performed with actors such as Peter Simonischek and Andrea Jonasson [de].

He also appeared in concerts with the Orchestre National de France under Riccardo Muti at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées; a series of recitals with Diana Damrau at the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden, Paris Opera, La Scala, and the Musikhalle in Hamburg and recitals with Bo Skovhus at the Semperoper in Dresden, the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf and the Musikverein in Vienna.