Meet Camilla Sabbatini, young Italian violinist
Camilla Sabbatini, is 21 years old, lives in Milan and is attending the two-year master’s degree in violin at the prestigious G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan. She attends the Pinerolo Music Academy. Graduated from a three-year degree at the Pesaro G. Rossini Conservatory with full votes at the age of 19, Camilla has performed in the Senate of the Italian Republic and in important theaters in Italy and abroad.
Camilla Sabbatini was chosen by Expo Magazine as an example of Italian musical excellence, along with novelist Davide Amante and luthier Stefano Bertoli, for the Expo 2020 Dubai introduction video release by Duplomatic MS. The video production staff would like to thank her for the availability.
‘Camilla is out of the ordinary of time and things. I listened to her tune the violin and saw her break away and fly’, said novelist Davide Amante, who participated in the shooting. The video introduction was shot at Stefano Bertolis’ luthier workshop.
What made you want to be a violinist?
I decided to be a violinist at the age of 8, one Christmas evening my parents and I entered by chance a small church where Vivaldi’s four seasons were playing, as soon as I saw the solo violinist I realized that I wanted to do the exact same thing, for one year I asked for a violin, the following Christmas they gave it to me and I started taking lessons, it was the best Christmas ever.
How your passion for music started?
I have always listened to classical music, the violin was part of me right from the beginning but the real passion was born the first time I played with an orchestra, nothing is more exciting than being surrounded by so many instruments that play together. A wonderful energy is created.
Is there a work or an author you feel particularly attached to?
I am very attached to PI Tchaikovsky’s symphony n.6, the first time I played it was also the first time they entrusted me with a role of responsibility. I was small, I was 13 and I had to manage a line of violinists much older than me, I learned to trust my abilities and to enforce my decisions.
Are there any other important experiences that have marked or influenced your studies?
I have two experiences that I will always carry in my heart, the first is when in 2017 I made the first concert with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Italian Conservatories at the Senate of the Italian Republic, live on Rai (Italian TV broadcaster) and the second is participation in the Skive Opera Festival in Denmark in 2018, experiences that made me grow and that greatly enriched me.
In your opinion, to what extent can teachers affect the development of a violinist?
Teachers in a student’s life are very important, you grow up with them and create an unparalleled relationship, I owe a lot to my first Conservatory Professor Giulia Benelli, she made me what I am today.
Can you explain to us, from your point of view, how much does inspiration count and how much technique does in your work?
I believe that there cannot be inspiration, emotion without a solid technique, one cannot exclude the other.
Can you tell us about your studies and what are you doing today?
I am currently about to finish the second year of Master’s Degree in violin at the G. Verdi Conservatory in Milan in the class of Professor Christian Anzinger and I am attending the Academy of Music in Pinerolo, one of the most renowned institutions of higher education in Italy.
In 2019, at the age of 19, I graduated with full marks at the G. Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro under the guidance of Professor Giulia Benelli.
What are the biggest difficulties in your job?
It is a job that requires a lot of dedication and passion, the greatest difficulty as a student and violinist is always looking for new goals, never stopping and working hard to reach your goal.
Does the concept of ‘research’ exist in your work, and is it important?
More than research, I would describe our work as individual growth, a maturation of what we are and therefore of what we can transmit through music.
Is there a relationship with your musical instrument?
Over the years the musical instrument becomes part of you, it is a precious object, it is the means through which you can express yourself.
We violinists are jealous of our violin, we do not let those who do not fully understand its value pick it up or touch it, we care a lot.
Most of us have ancient instruments and in addition to being a huge investment in our musical career, they become travel companions in everyday life.
Can you explain to readers what it means to ‘study’ the violin from the point of view of personal commitment and daily activities?
From an early age they taught me that musicians are like athletes, they train the muscles and for this there must be consistency in the study, it is hard sometimes, for this you need a lot of passion.
The activities as a student are varied and demanding, you have as many subjects as in every field, you need perseverance and discipline.
The word satisfaction, in your work, when you feel you can pronounce it?
I feel I can pronounce it when I transmit emotions to the audience through a concert.
The greatest satisfaction for me is being able to turn to people and see them ecstatic and moved after my performance. It is in those moments that I truly understand the importance that music has in our life.
Can you tell us your next engagements?
In the next few months I will finish the few exams I have left and finish my studies, I have many roads open for next year, I will certainly continue to specialize more and more in order to be able to undertake my career in the best possible way.
How do you see your future, where are you aiming?
I see myself playing in a professional orchestra and becoming the artistic director of some important festival, it would be a great dream of mine, I don’t know yet if my future will take me abroad or if I will stay here in my beloved Italy.
