“A fascinating play of emotions magnificently performed"
- Aargauer Zeitung
"Rare perfection of phrasing, excellent intonation, a dialogue that goes far beyond words… (...) gave me moments of deep happiness”
- Enzo Restagno, musicologist and music critic
Dicembre 2018, Turin Cathedral
“Irene was spectacular. I had tears in my eyes.
It was the best Four Seasons I have ever heard. Truly virtuosic”
- Maren Montalbano, Soprano Grammy Winner
Novembre 2019, Carnegie Hall, New York
Italian violinist, Irene Abrigo started playing the violin at the age of 4 at the Aosta Suzuki School. She continued her education with Marie-Annick Nicolas, Pierre Amoyal and Corina Belcea at the University of Arts in Switzerland (HEM Genève, HEMU Lausanne and HKB Bern) and Austria (Mozarteum Salzburg). She took part in masterclasses with Zakhar Bron, Thomas Füri, Viktor Pikayzen, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Mayumi Seiler and Benjamin Schmid.
Winner of the 2015 RESPIGHI PRIZE and laureate of many National and International Competitions, Irene made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2016 with the Chamber Orchestra of New York, performing the NY première of the violin concerto by Dirk Brossé “Black, White and in Between”. In 2016 she also performed in Brazil the south America première of the Respighi’s Violin Concerto No.1 and she had her debut with the West Czech Symphony Orchestra in the Czech Republic, with the Mozart Violin Concerto No.5. Her performance of Vivaldi Four Seasons at Carnegie Hall in November 2019 received a standing ovation. She collaborates with living composers such as Xavier Dayer, Richard Dubugnon, David Philip Hefti, Heinz Holliger, Mischa Käser, Federico Mantovani, Daniel Schnyder, Nadir Vassena, and premiered several pieces by them including the “Infal’s Songs” for solo violin by Antonmario Semolini (dedicated to her).
Deeply convinced about the social responsibility of art, Irene is the Artistic Director of POURQUOIPAS, a non-profit association created by her in 2015, organizing concerts, masterclasses and projects with social commitments. Since young, Irene has been truly passionate about Niccolò Paganini, so she collaborated with POURQUOIPAS to create an educational experience titled "Niccolò Paganini: the mystery": a one-hour itinerary discovering truth and mysteries of the composer's life, that ended with a final concert.
She is also the Artistic Director of the LUCIGNANO MUSIC FESTIVAL in Tuscany, Italy, which she founded in 2021 and takes place in July.
Graduated at Liceo Classico “XXIV February” in Aosta, in 2015 she obtained the Degree in Art, Literature and Performance (DAMS) at the University of Turin with a thesis about Niccolò Paganini.
She is currently living in Winterthur, Switzerland, and playing a violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, Milan 1758, and a bow by Françoix Xavier Tourte ex-Iona Brown, generously on loan to her from a private collector.