Office: Catlett Music Center 244D
Hailed as “truly communicative” (New York Times) and an “impeccable and powerful soloist” (Neue Musikzeitung), Franco-American violinist Elissa Cassini captivates audiences worldwide through her expressive tone and engaging presence. Her innovative programs such as those created through her Duplexity Concerts organization have been praised as “an imaginatively conceived recital” (Strad Magazine).
Elissa’s most recent solo project Résonances inter-relates works by J.S. Bach, Kaija Saariaho and Missy Mazzoli, combined with visuals, electronics, improvisation and staging to create an immersive musical narrative; and was premiered in March 2023 at the Collégiale Saint Martin festival in Angers France.
After having served three seasons as concertmaster under maestro Isaac Karabtchevsky with the Orquestra Petrobras Sinfonica in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Elissa has been invited as guest concertmaster with leading orchestra’s including the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Helsinki Philharmonic, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Rouen Opera and as guest leader for new music ensembles such as Meitar Ensemble in Tel-Aviv.
Elissa’s passion for new music was sparked during her graduate degree at the Juilliard School when Pierre Boulez heard her perform his Anthèmes and invited her as concertmaster of his orchestra at the Lucerne Festival. She has since collaborated with internationally acclaimed composers, such as Kaija Saariaho, Beat Furrer, Georg Friedrich Hass and Tristan Murail.
Elissa’s latest commissions include a concerto by Theodore Wiprud on the theme of climate action to be premiered by the South Dakota Symphony and Conditions de Lumière, a spectralist concerto by Jérôme Combier, premiered with the Argento Ensemble in New York, the Cairn Ensemble in Paris, and the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne in Montreal.
Elissa’s concerto appearances include Philip Glass’s American Four Seasons (Orchestre National de Bretagne), Philippe Leroux’s d’Aller (Camerata Aberta in Sao Paulo), Anders Eliasson’s concerto (Arcos Chamber Orchestra at the Berlin Konzerthaus) and Nicolas Bacri’s Winter’s Night (Orchestre de l’Opéra de Massy).
