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Isabella Abbonizio

Isabella Abbonizio is a New York-based Italian classical guitarist, educator, musicologist and enterpreneur. Her passion for music manifested early in her life and brought her to pursue both instrumental and theoretical studies. After studying at the G. B. Martini Music Conservatory of Bologna (Italy) she graduated with honors in musicology, and earned a Ph.D. from Tor Vergata University of Rome. In 2012-2019 she was a Visiting Scholar at New York University’s Centre for European and Mediterranean Studies.

As a guitarist Isabella studied under the guidance of Argentinian guitarist Griselda Ponce de Leòn and attended master classes with Judicael Perroi, Paulo Bellinati, Roland Dyens, Piero Bonaguri, Frédéric Zigante, Martha Masters and Joao Luiz from Brasil Guitar Duo. She performs both as soloist and in chamber ensembles. Isabella is a member of Artemis Guitar Duo (I. Abbonizio/K. Mayorga), and she has performed and recorded with the Contemporanea Guitar Duo (I. Abbonizio/J. Olson). Her repertoire is focused on 20th and 21st century music and she premiered a number of works for guitar. In 2018 she was featured by Ramirez Guitars at NAMM Show in Anaheim CA.

A professional music and guitar teacher, Isabella has more than fifteen years of teaching experience at any level, in public and private schools, in Italy and USA. She is a Royal Conservatory of Music RCM certified teacher since 2016. Her students received RCM gold medals and certificates of excellence and are annually invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in NY for the Northeastern Celebration of Excellence Award Recital.

As a musicologist, her current research interests focus on 20th century Italian and French music, colonial/postcolonial studies, 20th century Italian music and politics, early Italian ethnomusicology and music education. Her analysis of the guitar works of Maurice Ohana (1913-1992) is published in the journal « Il Fronimo » and has received widespread international attention. Her works are presented at international conferences, including International Society of Musicology IMS, Italian Society of Musicology SIdM, Bristol Conference on 20th century Music and Politics. Isabella gives lectures in academic and cultural institutions, such as New York University and Guitar Foundation of America. And her works are published in international scholarly publications, in Italian and English.

A music and guitar advocate, Isabella is co-founder and CEO of DalMaestro, and co-founder and artistic director of Lanciano International Guitar Seminar with Michael Newman and Laura Oltman from Newman&Oltman Guitar Duo. Isabella plays a Andrea Tacchi guitar.