“Extremely tenacious, she plays with great care for sound and possesses an elegant finishing touch and musical phrasing. To this, we must add her strong communicative power and the formidable technique required to perform 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 from the soul and captivates the listener.” — “Le Arti” Prize, P. Amatiello, Rome, 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
Ms. Cuffaro is the first woman in the history of Italian violinists to perform Nicolò Paganini’s most difficult virtuoso works, the 24 Capricci Op. 1, in a single concert. Recently, she was celebrated among the most important Italian Americans of the present generation and received the Cultural Award from the ILICA Foundation in New York City for her Paganini performances. The award citation reads: “For promoting the most authentic Italian culture around the world: Unique like Paganini.”
She has performed all 24 Capricci approximately twenty-three times around the world.
Ms. Cuffaro graduated in only six years, instead of the customary twelve, from the Corelli Conservatory in Italy under the guidance of Luigi Fusconi, a student of Arrigo Pelliccia. She continued her studies at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena and in Rome with Riccardo Brengola, winner of the Premio Paganini. A life-changing encounter followed with the renowned violinist Serguey Girshenko, professor at the Moscow Conservatory and concertmaster of the Bolshoi Theatre, and a pupil of David Oistrakh. In Rome, she also studied with and became assistant to Serguej Diachenko, of the school of Yuri Yankelevich and Herbert von Karajan, and collaborated with musicians including Bruno Canino, Teresa Procaccini, Konstantin Bogino, Anatole Lieberman, Francesco Ivan Ciampa, Emanuele Andrizzi, and Stephen Goss.
While in Rome, she earned her second degree in Chamber Music from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory. Later, in the United States, she completed an Artist Diploma at the University of Denver under Linda Wang in only nine months, performing Paganini’s 24 Capricci at her graduation recital.
Ms. Cuffaro has won numerous first prizes in national and international competitions. Her more than seven hundred performances as a soloist with orchestra, solo violinist, and chamber musician have been reviewed by American, European, and Eastern European newspapers, radio, and television networks, including RAI and CBS News. She has also taught numerous master classes throughout Europe and the United States.
Ms. Cuffaro served as professor of violin at the Conservatory in Cagliari, Italy, before resigning to follow her husband to the United States. She frequently performs alongside her husband, musicologist, pianist, composer, and conductor Simeone Tartaglione.
Ms. Cuffaro is currently Professor of Violin at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and regularly collaborates with youth orchestras and institutions including MCYO at Strathmore in Bethesda, the SJC String Ensemble, and the Levine School of Music in Washington, DC.
In May 2019, Ms. Cuffaro was honored during The Catholic University Honorary Gala, Women of CUA, for her hard work, dedication, and unwavering support of her students and the University. She was recognized for her extraordinary achievements and worldwide acclaim for mastering some of the most technically demanding violin repertoire ever written. “Her strong will and love for the violin inspire all who aspire to achieve what many consider impossible. Professor Cuffaro’s inspirational personality shines through her devoted students.”
Among critics, we read:
“She becomes one with her violin.”
“Her extraordinary strength captivates audiences as she performs.”
“Her playing touches the heart.”
“She plays like a goddess.”
“Her fingers are gold, and her heart is that of a tiger.”
“Her unique interpretation moves and heals the soul.”
“Virtuoso Alessandra Cuffaro enchants audiences through her Magic Violin.”
Ms. Cuffaro performs on a magnificent 1914 Vincenzo Sannino violin known as The Magic Violin.