Born in Milan, of Neapolitan origins and lived for a long time in Switzerland, she began singing at a very young age. Her artistic activity is very intense, especially abroad. One of the most prestigious international festivals, the Montreux Jazz Festival which has invited her for two consecutive editions, she is considered one of the top 5 voices in the world. She is a curious researcher, she alternates her interests in jazz, tango, songwriting, theater, musical theater of which she is considered one of the greatest European performers.

 

In jazz you have collaborated with many musicians including Giorgio Gaslini. You have collaborated with some researchers of the Musicology Department of the University of Helsinki on an important electronic music project

 

In 2002 she is the protagonist, with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Massimo Lambertini, of the world premiere in Vilnius and Kaunas of "L'Opéra du Pauvre".

Also in 2002 she won the European Music Award with “Opéra Tango” with the group of the Uruguayan bandoneonist Hector Ulises Passerella. In 2005 she became the protagonist of "The wonderful adventure of the tango", alongside the pianist and composer Luis Bacalov, Oscar winner for the music of the film "Il Postino", a project crowned by many years of great success.

 

Always protagonist of her, she participates in the show written, directed and performed by Giorgio Albertazzi entitled "Borges in Tango" (dedicated to the poetic texts of Borges and the music of Piazzolla).

She is a talented actress as well as a singer, in July 2004 she was invited as an artist of the Teatro Canzone genre to the first edition of the “Giorgio Gaber” Festival at the Citadel of Viareggio Carnival.

 

She intensifies her concert activity abroad thanks also to the numerous collaborations with the Italian Embassies and Institutes in the world that have used her projects. It is thanks to this commitment that the President Giorgio Napolitano bestows on her in 2008 the OMRI Knight Award for artistic merits, for having promoted the Italian language in the world through songwriting.

A very long list of nations has welcomed her Castelli over the years, hosting it in prestigious festivals and theaters.

 

With the project "Sous le ciel de Paris-Homage to Edith Piaf" she was a guest of the Novosibirsk Chamber Orchestra in 2011 and in 2012 she started an intense concert activity, also in Siberia, with I Virtuosi di Krasnoyarsk.

 

His copious discography includes: Something to remember - Before time changes (with Gianni Coscia and Renato Sellani) released on the prestigious classical music label Fonè by Giulio Cesare Ricci, (reissued in 2012 in limited edition 24kGold and on vinyl), "Singing Modugno", "Flowers of love and anarchy", "C'est toujours la même chanson" dedicated to the singer-songwriters of the "Genoese school", "Mare di mezzo - Mediterraneo", dedicated to the delicate issues related to the Mediterranean Sea elaborated by the Councilor for Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament Paolo Bergamaschi, (R) existing, realized in collaboration with the Department of Musicology of the University of Helsinki, "If I lost .. who won?" for the "Maremosso Edizioni" label.

 

Her commitment also makes her an institutional character and not only: she was a member of the Board of Directors of the international ONLUS "Women of the Mediterranean", she has artistically directed since 2001 to

2009 the "Jazz'n'Forte" Festival, later transformed into Versilia Jazz Festival - Europe Music Award, a festival entirely dedicated to Made in Italy jazz that awarded the greatest national jazz players, from Renato Sellani to Stefano Bollani, Franco Cerri, Gianni Coscia and Gianluigi Trovesi and directed the 'female' network of Isabella Donne in Arte.

For many years you have been involved in the musical programming of events for ENEL on the occasion of the various Open Days of the plants in Italy.

You have received numerous awards including the prestigious Portovenere Donna Award,

In 2016 you created the format "Host culture", which promotes concerts and performances on sites offered by entrepreneurs, individuals and anyone who shares the spirit of hosting artists in order to create moments of sharing, conviviality with high-level concerts.

You have taught jazz singing at the Messina, Trento and Mantua Conservatory.