Chiara Izzi

 Female Vocalist

Italy / United States

Biography

New York based vocalist Chiara Izzi started her musical path in Italy by learning to play the piano and starting to perform very early. By the age of 17 she had already performed in concerts in Italy and abroad with some of the most influent musicians on the Italian scene playing with them in many and different musical environments. As a result of this numerous experiences she reached a great versatility that made her capable to acquire a vocal mastery of jazz tradition but also a remarkable skill in contemporary styles. This way Chiara has developed a unique sound that allows her to interpret music gaining the musical content from different genres (jazz, pop, Italian songs, Mediterranean sounds) blending it and exploring it through a strong personality that unifies all the songs in a very brilliant and mature way of singing, despite her young age.

Chiara’s International debut took place at the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition in 2011, where she was awarded first prize by the living musical legend Quincy Jones. Following this award the vocalist was invited to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2012 opening Paco de Lucìa’s concert.

She is very active in the jazz community participating in some important International competitions such as Voicingers 2012 (Poland), where she was selected as a finalist by a jury composed by Patricia Barber, Lars Danielsson and Thierry Quenum. She has also won some of the most important Italian jazz competitions to name a few, first prize in the prestigious Italian contest Lucca Jazz Donna 2010, in Lucca (Italy), third prize in the national contest Chicco Bettinardi 2010 in Piacenza (Italy).

In July 2009 she was in the band that won the first prize in the international competition Barga Jazz, in Barga (Italy). In 2008 Norma Winstone, David Linx and Maria Pia de Vito chose her as a finalist for the International Jazz Competition Scrivere in Jazz, in Sassari (Italy).

Her debut album called “Motifs” released on November 2013 by the New York based label Dot Time Records has already presented in some prominent radio programs in Belgium, Holland (Radio Jazz meeting by Cynthia Thijs Coenraad), Italy (at Radio 24 by Gegé Telesforo, at  RTL 102.5 Cool by Roberto Uggeri, at Rai Radio 1 by Max de Tomassi). After a constant live activity on the Italian musical scene, on April 2014 she has invited to perform at the Jazzahead Festival (Germany).

Chiara graduated with honors from the Conservatory of Frosinone in 2012 with a Masterʼs Degree in Jazz Music and participated in many workshops with for example, Bob Stoloff, Roberta Gambarini, Barry Harris, Aaron Goldberg, Norma Winstone. Performing live in clubs and festivals in Italy and abroad (Belgium, Switzerland, France, United States, Finland, Germany) she has grabbed the attention of and received remarkable appraisals from Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Aaron Goldberg, David Kikosky, Greg Hutchinson, Jonathan Kreisberg, Dado Moroni and many others.