• Alessandra Cuffaro violin

    Alessandra Cuffaro, violin


    ""...Extremely tenacious...she plays with great care for sound, and has an elegant finishing touch, and musical phrasing to which we have to add strength of communication and the strong technique that is required to play the the 24 Capricci” A.Cantù, music critic, journalist and writer.

    “ In her hands, the violin is transformed, becoming a creature pulsating with life...” G. Salvatori, music critic and journalist, RAI, Tg2, Cultura e Società.

    “...An inimitable performer of Paganini... shaping the music with a pure expression that gushes out from the soul and that conquers...”Prize “Le Arti” P. Amatiello, Roma, Sala della Protomoteca del Campidoglio.

    "A sublime interpreter of my music... and also of the music of others!" Franco Mannino

    “...Alessandra Cuffaro is one of the most complete and ingenious musicians of the Third Millennium...” N.Mula, art critic and journalist. She is the first woman in the history of Italian violinists to perform the most difficult virtuoso pieces ever written for violin, Nicolò Paganini's 24 Capricci Op.1 in one concert. Her performance was many times featured by R.A.I. Italian National Television.

    Recently, she was celebrated among the most important Italian American of the present generation, with the Cultural Award by ILICA Foundation in New York City for her Paganini performances. The motivation on the prize says “To have promoted the most authentic Italian culture around the world: Unique like Paganini”

    Ms. Cuffaro has thought several master classes in Italy and in the US. She has played all the 24 Capricci about 23 times around the world, among the most important cities New York, Rome, Madrid, Lucca, Leon, Boston, Denver, Newark, Assisi, Mantua, Agrigento, Palermo, Castelli di Roma, Cava dei Tirreni and other.

    She graduated in only six years, rather than the regular twelve, at the Corelli Conservatory, Italy, under the guidance of Luigi Fusconi, student of Arrigo Pelliccia. Her studies continued at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and in Rome with famous violinist Riccardo Brengola, winner of the prestigious Competition “Premio Paganini”. Life changing was her encounter with renown violinist, professor at the Moscow Conservatory Serguey Girshenko, best student of David Oistrach. She also studied and collaborated with musician like Bruno Canino, Teresa Procaccini, Konstantin Bogino, Anatole Liebermn, Stephen Goss.

    In Rome, she earned her second degree in Chamber Music from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory, with Marco Lenzi with the highest honors. She earned also the Artist Diploma at the University of Denver with Linda Wang with the highest honors.

    Ms. Cuffaro has won many first-absolute prizes for her playing in national and international competitions. Her more than seven hundred performances as soloist with orchestra, solo violin or chamber music, have been reviewed in American, Italian, Spanish, French and Eastern European newspapers, radio and televisions such as R.A.I. and CBS News.

    Ms. Cuffaro has been violin professor at the Italian Conservatory in Cagliari, Italy, resigned to follow her husband to the United States. She often plays alongside her husband, musicologist, pianist, composer and conductor Simeone Tartaglione who holds the position of Assistant Professor at The Catholic University of America and Conductor of the CUA Orchestra, Music Director of the Delaware Youth Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Conductor of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra, Strathmore Theater, MD, Music Director of the Newark Symphony Orchestra, Artist Director and Conductor of The Music Viva Kentlands, Music Director and Conductor of Arianna Italian Festival, Wilmington, DE.

    Ms. Cuffaro is currently violin professor at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and in May 2019, Ms. Cuffaro was honored during the Catholic University Honorary Gala, Women of CUA for her hard work, dedication and unwavering support to her students and the University. She was recognized for “incredible and successful things achieved, world wide recognition for the most impossible acrobatic playing…” and “Her strong will and love for the violin is an inspiration for all who want to achieve something that is considered impossible by most…her inspirational personality shines through her adoring students.” Among critics, we read “She becomes one with her violin”, “Her extraordinary strength captures the audience as she plays”, “Her playing touches the heart”, “She plays like a goddess”, “Her fingers are gold and her heart is of a tiger”, “Her unique interpretation moves and heals the soul”, “Virtuoso Alessandra Cuffaro enchants the audience through her Magic Violin.”

    She plays a wonderful Vincenzo Sannino 1914 known as “Il Violino Magico”.