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1994 Singer-composer, Cristina Zavalloni was born in Bologna (Italy). While graduating at the modern language school she decides to dedicate professionally to music. She immediately shows a strong interest towards modern art which leads her to attending the circle of musical and mostly vocal experimentation. She starts working in the jazz field: in '93 she joins the “O.F.P. ORCHESTRA” - a vocational training stage promoted by C.E.E. - in the double role of singer and arranger-composer. Parallel to her musical activity in the field of jazz and experimental music, she cultivates an interest in contemporary music and composition. In ‘94 she starts studying opera singing. The most important step in her vocal growth is the meeting with M°Michelangelo Curti, from whom she’s been taking classes since 2000. In ‘94 she starts the “Open Quartet”, with which she has recorded two CDs: “Danse à Rebours” (1996)- produced by the German label Y.V.P. - and “Come valersi non servilmente di Bertolt Brecht” (1998)- CMC -. In ‘97 the group starts a collaboration with French tuba player Michel Godard. With her projects she often performs abroad: Germany, Romania, Netherlands, Norway, England. 1997 In ‘95 she joins the musical association BASSESFERE: an organism which supports ‘improvised’ music. In 1999 the association opens a label called BassesfeREC. The interest for research leads her to take part to projects like “Impasse” - from an idea of Francesco Cusa -. This project has been recorded in ‘96 and it’s published by the Italian label Splasc(h) , with the title: “Su Jacques Prévert” (1997). In September ‘97 she plays the role of Lucilla in Rossini’s “La Scala di Seta”, at Teatro Comunale in Bologna. In November ‘97 she performs A.Schöenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire at Teatro Verdi in Pisa. 1998 In May ‘98 she sings the role of Justine-Juliette, protagonist of Italian composer Sylvano Bussotti’s opera “La Passion Selon Sade”. She performs this role in Alessandria, Napoli, Torino, Bologna, Bergamo, Reggio Emilia, Den Haag (Olanda). In June ‘98 she sings Bach’s “Magnificat” as solo contralto. In October ‘99 she performs in Genoa during a festival dedicated to Berio’s music: “Sequenza III for solo voice”. In September ‘98 she enters the “Assemblage” ensemble , which is the result of a collaboration between the Italian association AMJ and the French association AFIJMA. With this group she participates to several festivals: “Una striscia di terra feconda” (Rome - ‘98), “jazz ed altro oltre al jazz” (Molfetta - ‘99), “Rumori Mediterranei” (Roccella Jonica - ‘99). 1999 In February ‘99 she opens the Metastasio Festival with an original production placed on order for the Metastasio Foundation (Prato - Italy): it deals with the addition of a new soundtrack to the famous silent movie “Aurora” (1927) by W.F.Murnau, at which she works both as a composer and as a performer. In April ‘99 she starts a collaboration with Dutch composer Louis Andriessen and performs at Concertgebouw (Amsterdam) his new composition: “Passeggiata in tram per l’America e ritorno” (text by Dino Campana), in occasion of a “Duke Ellington Memorial”. Here she is accompanied by the Concertgebouw Big Band conducted by Juriel Hempel. She also performs the same piece in London (may ‘99) at Queen Elisabeth’s Hall with London Sinfonietta conducted by Diego Masson, together with a new composition by British composer Gavin Bryars: When Harry met Addy. In May ‘99 she performs at BIMHUIS (Amsterdam) with her group OPEN QUARTET + Michel Godard. In May ‘99 she’s still in Amsterdam to collaborate with L.Andriessen. During a radio broadcast she also meets Misha Mengelberg and Juus Janssen. In October ‘99 she records a new CD in duo with pianist Stefano De Bonis, entitled Scoiattoli Confusi. The CD is released by BassesfeREC in 2001. In November ‘99 she performs with the new version of her band OPEN QUARTET at “Bergen Jazz Forum” (Bergen - Norway), where she had already been in ‘97. In December ‘99 she presents a new Pierrot Lunaireproduction promoted by the Dissonanzen Festival (Naples, November ‘99), which involves her both as a singer and a dancer. In the same period she performs at Barbican Centre (London) another piece written by Andriessen on a film by Peter Greenaway: “M is Man, Muisc, Mozart”. Here she is accompanied by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins. 2000 In April 2000 she premieres a new project called “PAS D’OISEAU” featuring Swiss percussionist Pierre Favre. In May 2000 she performs in Holland in duo with Stefano De Bonis: they play at the Bimhuis and appear in the TV show “Reiziger in Muziek”. In September 2000 she performs at the Biennale Musica (Venice) with the E.C.O. ENSEMBLE. The programme is made of premieres by Carluccio and Boccadoro plus the piece “Androgyn” by H.Oehring. In October 2000 she presents the new CD “New Original Soundtrack for AURORA” (co-produced with the Teatro Metastasio Foundation and released by BassesfeREC - September 2000) at the Jazz Crossing Festival (Ravenna, Bologna), with Andy Sheppard as special guest. In October 2000 she performs a new composition by Andriessen at the Nuova Consonanza Festival (Rome). She has met artists such as Kenny Wheeler, Steve Coleman, Marc Ducret, George Russell, Yves Robert, Gianni Gebbia, Carla Bley. In December 2000 she performs at Teatro Regio(Turin) together with the ensemble Sentieri Selvaggi, playing music by Carlo Boccadoro. 2001 In January 2001 she is on tour in Holland with her ensemble “Open Quartet” + French trombone player Yves Robert and Italian trumpet player Roy Paci and also performs live at Rai-Radiotre (Milan). In March 2001 she is at La Scala(Milan) always with the ensemble Sentieri Selvaggi. In this occasion they perform music by Mac Millan and Andriessen. The programme is performed also at Biennale Musica (Venice) in May 2001. Always in march 2001 she joins the Italian ensemble Dolmen Orchestra in the recording of a new Cd produced by English label “Leo Records”. Again in march she performs in the festival IL SUONO DEI SOLI (Palermo – Italy), playing music by Schöenberg and Eisler together with the Zephir Ensemble conducted by Francesco La Licata. In June - July 2001 she performs at FESTIVAL GREC (Barcelona - Spain), playing the role of the protagonist in the new opera “EURIDICE” by Spanish composer Juan Alberto Amargos. This opera is taken on tour in Germany, touching Lörrach (July 2002) and Ludwigshaven (November 2002). In July 2001 she is on an Australian tour with the Dutch ensemble Orkest De Volharding, playing music by Louis Andriessen. In September 2001 she performs at the Festival “JAZZ ed ALTRO OLTRE al JAZZ” (Puglia – Italy), both with OPEN QUARTET and DOLMEN ORCHESTRA. With this ensemble she had also sung in Sassari – Sardinia (August 2001). Always in September 2001 she play the role of the mother in the new contemporary opera CAMERA OBSCURA, written by Italian composer Marco Di Bari under commission of the “Biennale Musica di Venezia”. After the premiere in Venice (Italy), the opera is performed at Teatro Lirico di Trieste, which co-produces it. In November 2001 she opens the season at Piccolo Regio (Torino – Italy) with the new project “Impressive Ensemble” by Claudio Lugo. They present a work called “Leyendo Jodo”, inspired by Chilean poet and film-maker Alejandro Jodorowsky. In the same month she sings in the opera “ALFRED ALFRED” by F.Donatoni (Italian premiere), produced by Operaincanto and conducted by Fabio Maestri. The opera is performed in Narni, Amelia, Terni and at Teatro Olimpico (Rome – Italy) inside the festival Nuova Consonanza (December 2001). Always in November she performs in duo with Stefano De Bonis at Teatro ITC (S.Lazzaro – Italy) and Teatro Rasi (Ravenna – Italy), for the festival Musica In Gioco. 2002 In February 2002 starts a European tour again with ORKEST DE VOLHARDING, which she now permanently joins a soloist singer. The tour stops in Holland (Breda – February, Amsterdam and Haarlem – September), Spain (Granda, Sevilla, Barcelona – March) and England (London - October). In March 2002 she performs again in duo with Stefano De Bonis: at the Europe Jazz Network festival in Modena (Italy) and on the radio broadcast Jazz Club (Rai Radiotre), lead by Carlo Boccadoro. In the same month she tours Italy with Ensemble Dissonanzen conducted by Claudio Lugo: they perform at Festival Dissonanzen (Napoli) and at Musica Insieme in Ateneo (Bologna), presenting a programme made of “Siete Canciones Populares Españolas” by M.De Falla, “Stripsody” by C.Berberian, “Folk Songs” by L.Berio. A part from carrying on her own projects and working as a soloist in XX century contemporary repertoire, Cristina Zavalloni often joins other musicians ventures and recordings, like “Banda Jonica” by Roy Paci and Fabio Barovero. The new Cd by “Banda Jonica” is presented in April 2002 at Teatro Regio (Torino – Italy). After that, this live performance tours Italy (Prato, Udine), Holland (Amsterdam, Tilburgh) and Spain in March 2003. In April 2002 she is in the United States, performing the chamber opera “The Second Bakery Attack” by American composer Yotam Haber ( Festival Chamber Orchestra, University of Cornell – Ithaca, New York, USA). In Ithaca she also holds a recital in duo with pianist Andrea Rebaudengo and a vocal masterclass at the University of Cornell, within the vocal department run by Judith Kellock. In May 2003 she performs at the In May 2003 she performs at the Angelica Festival (Bologna), joining the original production “Galleria San Francesco” by Dutch cello player – composer Tristan Honsinger. In June she performs at the Festa della Musica (Milan), singing in the chamber work “Chat-opera” by Francesco Antonioni. This opera opens the 2002/2003 programme of the Laboratorio Piccolo Regio (Turin) in October 2002. In September, she joins the “Meeting Improvisers” event organised by the Bimhuis (Amsterdam-Holland): two days of ‘impromptu’ performances together with musicians such as Simon Nabotov, Phil Minton, Han Bennik, Ernst Glerum, Mary Oliver, Toby Delius, Michael Moore, etc.. In october she performs “La Passione ” - a new composition by Louis Andriessen based on the Canti Orfici by Dino Campana - for solo voice (Cristina Zavalloni), solo violin (Monica Germino) and orchestra. The piece is commissioned by London Sinfonietta. The premiere takes place at the Queen Elisabeth Hall (QEH, South Bank – London), under the conduction of Oliver Knussen. “La Passione ” is also performed at the Berliner Festwochen (Berlin, october 2002) with Musik Fabrik conducted by Stefan Asbury, at the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam, may 2003) with Asko Ensemble conducted by Reenbert De Leeuw, at Lincoln Center (New York, may 2004) with London Sinfonietta and at Ultima Festival (Oslo, october 2004) with Oslo Sinfonietta conducted by Christian Eggen. In october she premieres “La Passione”, a new piece by Louis Andriessen for solo voice (Cristina Zavalloni), solo violin (Monica Germino) and orchestra. The premiere takes place in the Queen Elisabeth Hall (QEH, South Bank – London), with London Sinfonietta (purchaser of the piece) conducted by Oliver Knussen. “PASSIONE” is repeated in Berlin at the Berliner Festwochen (October 2002), with the ensemble Musik Fabrik conducted by Stefan Asbury. The piece will also be performed in Amsterdam (Concertgebouw – May 2003) with Asko Ensemble conducted by Reenbert De Leeuw and it will be taken on an American tour (spring 2003) again with London Sinfonietta. In december she makes a recital at the Teatro Regio (Turin), accompanied by Stefano De Bonis and the brass quintet PentaBrass, made of members of the Teatro Regio Orchestra. 2003 March 3rd (03-03-03) is the release date of "Cristina Zavalloni", a new cd produced by Radio Popolare and Sensible Records - ARPA. The voice is accompanied by the pianists Andrea Rebaudengo and Stefano De Bonis, switching from Ravel, Berio, Andriessen, De Falla and original compositions. This cd is the start of the duo with Andrea Rebaudengo. Together they perform in Sevilla - Spain (Teatro della Maestranza, march), in Cremona (Teatro Ponchielli, april), at the radio broadcast Fahre Spettacolo (Radiotre-Rai Milan, may), in Milan (Auditorium of Radio Popolare, january 2004), in Modena (Teatro San Carlo, february 2004), at the Contemporary Music Festival in Tashkent - Uzbekistan (april 2004), at the Teatro Rossini in Pesaro (may 2004). In april she opens the Musica 90 Festival (Turin) with a new project about focused on the Italian Song of the 60's: "Metti una sera...". With her on stage are Stefano De Bonis, Ginaluca Petrella and Ernst Reijseger on cello. "Metti una sera..." is staged again in april 2004: Paris (Festival Banlieues Bleues) and Amsterdam (Bimhuis), featuring drummer Cristian Calcagnile. In may she creates Con tutto il mio amore - Omaggio a Cathy Berberian 20 anni dopo, commissioned by ITeatri Foundation, Reggio Emilia - Italy. The performance is made of 4 world premieres by Paolo Castaldi, Claudio Lugo, Louis Andriessen and Uri Caine, a video installation by Daniele Abbado and Boris Stetka, video direction by Cinzia Rizzo, and choreographies by Mauro Bigonzetti. The musicians on stage, else then Cristina, are Andrea Rebaudengo (piano), Andrea Dulbecco (vibrafone - marimba), Antonio Caggiano (percussions), Monica Germino (violin), Stefano Dall'Ora (double bass), Margherita Bassani (harp) and Claudio Lugo (live electronics). Con tutto il mio amore opens the FestivalREC at Teatro Ariosto, Reggio Emilia on may 3rd. In february 2004 it is staged again in Turin, produced by Teatro Regio and Unione Musicale. In july she sings at the Festival Jazz in Puglia (Lecce - Italy), as a guest of Nicola Conte's group. This collaboration starts in a recording studio: Cristina sings a couple of songs in the new album by Nicola Conte (released in 2004 by Blue Note). In july she also partecipates to a Residency organised by the Clusone Jazz Festival. She works with Médérick Collignon, Paul Rogers, Hasse Poulsen, Roberto Dani, Roberto Ottaviano, Tobias Delius, Stefano De Bonis and Ginaluca Petrella. The project consists of four concerts of improvised music, during which the 9 musicians perform in different combinations. An extract of the Residency has been released on the Europe Jazz Odyssey demo cd (2004). In august she takes part to Die Schwarze Madonne, the new project by Michel Godard. The other musicians involved are Pierre Favre, Linda Bsiri, Helène Berschand, the vocal ensemble Calixtinus, Gabriele Mirabassi and Godard himself. Die Schwarze Madonne premieres at the Alpentone Festival (Switzerland) on august 16. After that the whole crew moves to Provins (France) to record it and to film it for the Swiss Television. Always in august, she is M°Luis Bacalov's assistant at Accademia Chigiana Summer Clinics (Siena - Italy). During the fall, she performs in San Petersburg (Hermitage Theatre) and Leuven (Transit Festival - Belgium) with Orkest De Volharding. The conductor is Jurjen Hempel, Monica Germino plays solo violin. The same Andriessen program is performed in may 2004 at Lincoln Center, New York. In october, she performs the title role of the new Louis Andriessen's music theatre work Inanna(libretto by the American film-maker Hal Hartley). This world premiere is produced by HOLLANDIA and directed by Paul Koek. Inanna is on at Westergazfabriek in Amsterdam during the whole month. After that, it is performed in Berlin, at Schaubhune Theatre. On the day of her 30th birthday, she is in London at QEH for the world premiere of Big Noise. It deals with a combined project of Orkest De Volharding and the English ensemble Icebreaker. She performs Gli Toccha la Mano, written for her by Cornelis de Bondt. The Big Noise tour touches England in november 2003 (London, Brighton, Manchester, Coventry, Huddersfield) and Holland in january 2004 (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Enschede). 2004 In february, the Italian label Felmay releases the album When you go yes is yes!. It's a live cd recorded in april 2003 at SJU Jazz Festival (Utrecht - Holland). The musicians involved are Fabrizio Puglisi, Francesco Cusa, Antonio Borghini and Gianluca Patrella. On march 1st she performs at Teatro degli Arcimboldi, Milan with the ensemble Sentieri selvaggi conducted by Carlo Boccadoro: the programme includes the world prmiere of Acts of Beauty composed by Michael Nyman. This program is also performed in Perugia (Teatro Pavone), Rome (Teatro Olimpico), Mantova (Teatro Sociale), Genoa. In october she perform at Ultima Festival (Oslo, Norway), with two concerts dedicated to the music of Louis Andriessen. She also premieres the new Andriessen' s composition Racconto dall'Inferno (Koln, october 24), with the ensemble MusikFabrik conducted by Reinbert De Leeuw. 2005 In may 2005 she sings Drusilla in Monteverdi's Incoronazione di Poppea at Opera du Rhin in Strasbourg (France), directed by David McVicar and conducted by Rinaldo Alessandrini. With this production, she makes her debut in baroque music. In July she is invited by Stefano Bollani to take part to his special project "Gente in cerca di nuvole". In july she is involved again in a Monteverdi production: this time she embodies Clorinda from the Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda at Ravello Festival 2005. The music is revisited by Giorgio Battistelli, the direction is by Mario Martone. 2006 In february she is on tour in the US with Monica Germino and Andrea Rebaudengo playing the music of Louis Andriessen. They perform at Eastman School of Music and Ann Arbor University. In march she is in Los Angeles for the American premiere of Racconto dall'inferno at Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Philarmonic conducted by Reinbert De Leeuw. The live recording of the piece is published on-line by Deutsche Grammophone. The passion for baroque music leads her to join the new Alain Platel's production VSPRS. The show is based on Monteverdi's Vespri della Beata Vergine, rivisited by Belgian saxophone player Fabrizio Cassol. The world tour starts in march 2006 at Berlin Staatsoper and goes on throughout 2007. 2007 In September 2007 she sings the world premiere of Luca Mosca's opera Signor Goldoni (Mirandolina) at Teatro La Fenice (Venice), directed by Davide Livermore and conducted by Andrea Molino. In November she records a new Stravinsky/Milhaud CD with Andrea Rebaudengo, to be released in spring 2008: it is entitled Tilim-bom. 2008 Between December 07 and January 08 she tours Italy with Manuel De Falla's Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas, accompanied by Opera Incanto conducted by Fabio Maestri and by ORT conducted by Paul Daniel. In this case she performs the Berio's version for orchestra. In June she premieres Louis Andriessen’s new opera La Commedia at Theater Carré Amsterdam (Holland). Inspired by Dante’s Divina Commedia, the opera is produced by Holland Festival and perdormed by the Schoenberg Ensemble conducted by Reinbert De Leeuw, direction by American film-maker Hal Hartley. The piece is conceived for three main characters: Dante – Cristina Zavalloni -, Beatrice – Claron McFadden – and Lucifer – Jeroen Willems. In July she performs for the third time at West Cork Chamber Music Festival (Ireland). Among other things, she sings Monteverdi’s Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda with harpsichord player Fiona O’Sullivan. Between August and September 2008 she takes part to the creation of Alain Platel and Fabrizio Cassol’s new work Pitié!, based on Johan Sebastion Bach’s Matthäuspassion. The show is staged for the first time in Bochum (Rurhtriennale, Germany). A long European tour follows: Turin, Modena, Paris, Ferrara, Antwerp, Ludwigshaven, Bruxelles, Rome, Valence, Chambéry, Luxembourg, Leuven. The music of the show is recorded separately on a very well-received CD. Tilim-bom, the second CD for the label EGEA, is released in October: it is a collection of voice and piano compositions by Igor Strawinsky and Darius Milhaud, recorded in duo with Andrea Rebaudengo. 2009 On February 2 she performs at Teatro Comunale Bologna (Italy) in trio with Gabriele Mirabassi and Andrea Rebaudengo. The play a new programme called Americana, featuring music by Jonh Cage, Leonard Bernstein, Charles Ives, Aaron Copland and a world premiere by Carlo Boccadoro. Always in March she is invited by Virtuosi Italiani to join a tribute to the Beatles ('Atlantide Festival', Teatro Nuovo, Verona – Italy). In March American conductor Jonathan Schiffman invites her to sing Berio’s Folk Songs in Avignon (France). She is acompanied by the Orchestre Lyrique de Région Avignon Provence. In April she is in Vancouver (Canada) invited by the Music on Main Festival to join the celebrations for Andriessen’s 70th birthday. During her stay, she performs with Hard Rubber Orchestra, in trio with Monica Germino and Andrea Rebaudengo and in an improvised set in duo with Andriessen himself on piano. At the end of April the Accademia di Santa Cecilia - Rome – invites her to perform James McMillan’s Raising sparks. In June she performs in solo in Bozen (Italy), for the Festival ‘Il gesto del suono’. She shares the concert with two amazing vocalists: Greetje Bijma and Sidsel Endresen. At the end of july the label EGEA releases Zavalloni’s new album: Solidago, featuring Stefano De Bonis, Antonio Borghini, Cristiano Calcagnile. The work is partly a tribute to the art of Armenian-French chansonnier Charles Aznavour and partly made of original compositions. The project tours live with the title Per caso Aznavour: L’altro suono - Nonantola, Klara Festival Bruxelles, Bimhuis Amsterdam, San Lazzaro, Pianoro, Catanzaro, Teatro Storchi Modena, Cento, Terni, Ferrara, Forlì, Bruges, Maratea, Emilia Romagna Festival - Castel San Pietro, Blue Note Milan, Metastasio Jazz Prato, Sant’Elpidio, Banlieues Bleues Paris, Genova Festival del Mediterraneo, Verona Jazz. At the end of September Cristina Zavalloni makes her Mozart debut in Austria: the opens the St.Poelten Festspielhaus season singing, among other things, two of Idamante arias from Mozart’s Idomeneo. The conductor is Julia Jones. Always in September she is invited by the Biennale Musica Venice to sing Andriessen’s Racconto dall’Inferno with the Orchestra della Fenice conducted by Tito Ceccherini. In November she’s featured as special guest of Gabriele Mirabassi’s band at Roma Jazz Festival At the end of October she is invited by Accademia Chigiana Siena (Italy) to join a tribute to Luciano Berio: she performs Circles together with an ensemble led by Danilo Grassi. Always in November she is invited by the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (England) to join the celebrations of Louis Andriessen’s 70th birthday. In December she performs twice in Italy with amazing Brazilian mandolin player Hamilton de Holanda. The growing passion for Brazilian music leads her to a new stay in Rio de Janeiro in January 2010. 2010 At the end of January she is invited by Andrea Lucchesini to sing Ravel’s Chansons Madécasses and Poulenc’s Rhapsodie Nègre at Amici della Musica Florence (Italy). The all-stars band features Mario Brunello, Marco Rizzi, Gabriele Mirabassi, Giampaolo Pretto and Lucchesini himself. At the beginning of 2010, Cristina Zavalloni makes her debut in Francis Poulenc’ La Voix humaine. She performs the piano and voice version in Bologna on February 17 (with Andrea Rebaudengo on piano, direction by Stefania Panighini) and the original version with orchestra in Bozen on March 22 and 23, directed by Sandro Pasqualetto. In April she tours the US for a reprise of Andriessen’s opera La Commedia (with Schoenberg Ensemble conducted by Reinbert De Leeuw). The performances take place in Walt Disney Hall – Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall – New York, where she sings for the first time. At Carnegie Hall she also gives a duo recital together with pianist Andrea Rebaudengo.
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