Irene Abrigo – Artistic Excellence without all the fuss

Ilona Oltuski
24 minutes ago
3 min read

Photo Credit: Jennifer Taylor, Irene Abrigo, Maestro Salvatore Di Vittorio with the Chamber Orchestra of New York

Nothing seems too complicated for this highly versatile and engaging violinist. Her strength lies in her noble simplicity. She balances a lunch date with an old friend during a brief, jet-lagged visit to New York City with a rehearsal, geared to transform the audience at Carnegie Hall that evening. She spontaneously performs at an educational initiative with a pianist she met 10 minutes earlier in Juilliard’s practice room—all, while exuding a sense of ease and collaborative spirit and making it feel as if she has done this a million times before. Everything she undertakes receives her utmost attention to detail, and it becomes an integral part of who she is.

Despite the icy weather on March 13, Weill Recital Hall in New York was packed for Abrigo’s magical solo performance of Vaughan Williams’s masterpiece, The Lark Ascending. The performance was conducted by the gregarious maestro Salvatore Di Vittorio and featured the Chamber Orchestra of New York City. “I had been debating whether to undertake the long trip,” she says, “but I am so happy I accepted the orchestra’s invitation to return as their guest soloist for this meaningful, if brief, performance. I hope this artistic dialogue will continue to unfold and further open new paths to collaborations in the US,” she explains.

"For me, 'The Lark Ascending' has become a deeply necessary work in our time. It transcends the weight of war and social unrest, returning us to something elemental: freedom, nature, breath,” she explains. She was profoundly touched by the feedback she received from many listeners who said they felt transported into a shared, almost meditative space. Despite its brevity of all but 15 minutes, the piece, completed in 1914 on the eve of World War I, offers ample opportunity for cathartic introspection and redemption.

Inspired by George Meredith’s 1881 Victorian-era poem of the same name, the piece serves as a hymn to the beauty of nature’s voice, evoking nostalgia for simpler times. The skylark's freedom and enchanting song transcend human limitations. From the most delicate pizzicato that evokes the ethereal sound of a bird in flight to climactic glissandos that reflect the human voice's contrasting patterns, Abrigo vividly illustrated the full emotional spectrum in a dynamic dialogue with the orchestral ensemble. Alongside performing, teaching remains an essential part of Abrigo’s life —working with young talents at the Winterthur Conservatory and in her private studio, she feels offers “a space of growth, discovery, and transformation.” In 2015, she established the nonprofit organization, POURQUOIPAS, which continues to guide another dimension of her path and remains an essential part of her mission, which is to: “bring music where it is most needed – into prisons, educational projects in India, spaces of healing and reflection,” as she explains.

As artistic director, Abrigo is responsible for the continued development of the Lucignano Music Festival, which is held in the picturesque region between Arezzo and Siena. "Born during the stillness of the pandemic, as a response to the need for beauty and creation, it is growing organically, rooted in chamber music yet open to new horizons," she ruminates. "Through the Lucignano Music Festival, we are deeply engaged in educational work—bringing music into schools, the community, and often-forgotten places, such as retirement homes."

One can read more about the festival here.

A notable distinction emerges between the meanings of "evidente" (obvious) in Standard Italian and in Swiss Italian. In the latter, the term assumes a different connotation, translating to "facile" or "easy."

Abrigo's modesty, which may be further attributed to her Swiss Italian heritage, is complemented by her innate artistic instinct, which was cultivated during her formative years as a musician. Her presence evokes a sense of elegant effortlessness, but it is anything but simple.

What lies ahead for Abrigo:

April 26-30: Switzerland tour with Swiss Chamber Concerts—Zurich, Lugano, Geneva, and Basel alongside Heinz Holliger: swisschamberconcerts.chMay 8^th: Perugia, Italy. Perugia Classica in the beautiful Sala dei Notari with Patrick Demenga, Jürg Dähler, and Heinz Holliger.: perugiamusicaclassica.com/it/events/swiss-chamber-soloists/