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Sonic Synesthesia

Alum News

BY CHRISTINA BARBER-JUST

Published March 2, 2021

The inspiration for violinist and vocalist Concetta Abbate ’09’s new album, Mirror Touch, came from conversations with women and nonbinary people dealing with mental health issues.

The title refers to a type of synesthesia associated with extreme empathy. Dubbed a “badass violinist” by the online arts journal HINGED, Abbate is known for her collaborations with dancers and poets. Her own music floats somewhere in the classical-jazz-neofolk area, defying categorization. Mirror Touch follows her critically acclaimed solo debut album from 2015, Falling in Time.

MIRROR TOUCH
Concetta Abbate ’09
concettaabbate.com

This story appears as part of the Smithies Create column in the Winter 2020-21 issue of the Smith Alumnae Quarterly.

Photograph by Vera Complog