Her [Cialona] approach carries the improvisational spirit of jazz greats, filtered through a contemporary pop sensibility that makes complex harmonies of her music feel effortlessly accessible.
Award-winning Italian singer, arranger, and vocal coach Monica Cialona continues her musical journey of unparalleled originality and mastery, as reported by Francesco Arcudi. With New York firmly established as her creative epicenter, she brings to the city her singular blend of jazz intuition, pop craftsmanship, and architectural acoustics. Like Betty Carter reimagining standards or Esperanza Spalding bending genres, Cialona moves through musical worlds with both precision and daring. Her approach carries the improvisational spirit of jazz greats, filtered through a contemporary pop sensibility that makes complex harmonies of her music feel effortlessly accessible.
The heartbeat of Cialona's current New York journey pulses through her decade-long collaboration with famed Italian songwriter Daniele Odasso. The duo’s 2024 U.S. concert series was so successful—with sold-out venues across the country—that they were asked to extend the series by popular demand. They are set to perform at prestigious New York venues The Owl Music Parlor and Bar Bayeux, as well as the nationally recognized Jazz at Pier 84 Concert Series, continuing to showcase the remarkable chemistry that has made their collaboration so compelling to audiences. Odasso and Cialona’s creative partnership represents one of the most enduring and fruitful collaborations in contemporary jazz-pop fusion—a musical dialogue that has flourished across multiple projects since their first studio sessions together. Their artistic symbiosis first captured international attention with Odasso's notable 2016 album Prelude to Your Love, where Cialona's work as a singer, arranger, and vocal director earned rapturous praise from critics. Their duet on the album was hailed by Italy's La Stampa as “beautiful" and acclaimed for its alchemy of stylistic sophistication and pop immediacy.
Even as they bring their dynamic performances to new stages, the pair remains deeply committed to studio work, and their creative fires burn brighter than ever as they work to complete Odasso's highly anticipated new album From The Source (slated for Summer 2025 release) and prepare a celebratory January 2026 concert at The Bitter End to honor Prelude to Your Love's 10th anniversary.
This landmark performance at the Greenwich Village institution—where the echo of Bill Evans' harmonic revolutions still lingers in the walls—will showcase Cialona's completely reimagined arrangements of the album's material, with the singer-arranger herself taking center stage to demonstrate how their shared musical language has evolved. The concert forms just one highlight in their packed New York schedule, which will see the frequent collaborators performing at several of the city's premier jazz venues. Between finishing recording From The Source's new material in the studio and revisiting their “Prelude to Your Love" triumph onstage, Cialona and Odasso continue to prove that their partnership only deepens and intensifies with time, each project revealing new dimensions of their artistic connection.
Cialona’s roots in performance and songwriting trace back two decades, when she first captured national attention by winning Italy’s prestigious Stelle Nascenti d’Italia at Lido delle Nazioni in 2005. In 2008, she soared onto the European musical-theater scene, joining Olympic medalist and world champion figure skater Carolina Kostner in the blockbuster Winx on Ice tour. That same year, a national television audience saw her perform alongside the legendary Andrea Bocelli during a special tribute on the RAI talk show Che Tempo Che Fa, quickly cementing Cialona’s star power.
International collaborations define much of Cialona’s career. In 2013, Grammy Award–winner Lisa Fischer recorded “Radiate," a track penned by Cialona. When Cristina Scuccia, known worldwide as the victorious former singing nun from The Voice Italy, needed a formidable new single in 2014, Cialona answered with “Fallin’ Free," distributed globally by Universal Music and garnering enormous acclaim. Following that success, the Songwriters Hall of Fame bestowed upon her its revered Steinhardt Songwriting Award in 2014, recognizing her extraordinary contribution to the craft. Two years later, she released You Have Lost Someone, published by The Top Records, further solidifying her reputation as one of Italy’s most inventive songwriter-arrangers.
In 2018, Cialona lent her expertise as vocal coach for Cristina Scuccia’s sophomore record Felice. By 2023, she was back in the studio, crafting the English version of La Felicità è una Direzione for Scuccia, which quickly garnered recognition throughout the Italian press and a spotlight on the Mediaset TV show Verissimo.
While thrilling audiences with her vocal and arranging talents, Cialona has carved out a singular niche as the only artist currently working in the U.S. at the intersection of music and environmental design—a practice echoing the innovative spirit of cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s Inspired by Bach music garden project. Over the past several years, Cialona has pioneered methods to enhance musical perception within architectural spaces, merging her dual expertise in performance and spatial acoustics. Her research focuses on how materials interact with sound, specifically selecting surfaces that minimize noise pollution while optimizing natural resonance, with an emphasis on arched forms and curved geometries for their acoustic balance. Her unique methodology transforms sterile interiors into harmonious environments that actively elevate sensory experience. To bring these creative visions to life, Cialona—now head of her own MC Music & Design studio—collaborates with Chapter, a boutique renovation firm, where she helps clients and prominent artists seeking to realize spaces that resonate both aesthetically and acoustically.
United by her unwavering passion for bringing musical worlds together, Monica Cialona stands as a beacon of innovation, enriching New York’s cultural landscape through her refined voice and sophisticated arrangements. As she continues to captivate the city's audiences and grace its iconic stages, one thing is certain: her artistry knows no borders, and her star shines brightly in the city that never sleeps.
The heartbeat of Cialona's current New York journey pulses through her decade-long collaboration with famed Italian songwriter Daniele Odasso. The duo’s 2024 U.S. concert series was so successful—with sold-out venues across the country—that they were asked to extend the series by popular demand. They are set to perform at prestigious New York venues The Owl Music Parlor and Bar Bayeux, as well as the nationally recognized Jazz at Pier 84 Concert Series, continuing to showcase the remarkable chemistry that has made their collaboration so compelling to audiences. Odasso and Cialona’s creative partnership represents one of the most enduring and fruitful collaborations in contemporary jazz-pop fusion—a musical dialogue that has flourished across multiple projects since their first studio sessions together. Their artistic symbiosis first captured international attention with Odasso's notable 2016 album Prelude to Your Love, where Cialona's work as a singer, arranger, and vocal director earned rapturous praise from critics. Their duet on the album was hailed by Italy's La Stampa as “beautiful" and acclaimed for its alchemy of stylistic sophistication and pop immediacy.
Even as they bring their dynamic performances to new stages, the pair remains deeply committed to studio work, and their creative fires burn brighter than ever as they work to complete Odasso's highly anticipated new album From The Source (slated for Summer 2025 release) and prepare a celebratory January 2026 concert at The Bitter End to honor Prelude to Your Love's 10th anniversary.
This landmark performance at the Greenwich Village institution—where the echo of Bill Evans' harmonic revolutions still lingers in the walls—will showcase Cialona's completely reimagined arrangements of the album's material, with the singer-arranger herself taking center stage to demonstrate how their shared musical language has evolved. The concert forms just one highlight in their packed New York schedule, which will see the frequent collaborators performing at several of the city's premier jazz venues. Between finishing recording From The Source's new material in the studio and revisiting their “Prelude to Your Love" triumph onstage, Cialona and Odasso continue to prove that their partnership only deepens and intensifies with time, each project revealing new dimensions of their artistic connection.
Cialona’s roots in performance and songwriting trace back two decades, when she first captured national attention by winning Italy’s prestigious Stelle Nascenti d’Italia at Lido delle Nazioni in 2005. In 2008, she soared onto the European musical-theater scene, joining Olympic medalist and world champion figure skater Carolina Kostner in the blockbuster Winx on Ice tour. That same year, a national television audience saw her perform alongside the legendary Andrea Bocelli during a special tribute on the RAI talk show Che Tempo Che Fa, quickly cementing Cialona’s star power.
International collaborations define much of Cialona’s career. In 2013, Grammy Award–winner Lisa Fischer recorded “Radiate," a track penned by Cialona. When Cristina Scuccia, known worldwide as the victorious former singing nun from The Voice Italy, needed a formidable new single in 2014, Cialona answered with “Fallin’ Free," distributed globally by Universal Music and garnering enormous acclaim. Following that success, the Songwriters Hall of Fame bestowed upon her its revered Steinhardt Songwriting Award in 2014, recognizing her extraordinary contribution to the craft. Two years later, she released You Have Lost Someone, published by The Top Records, further solidifying her reputation as one of Italy’s most inventive songwriter-arrangers.
In 2018, Cialona lent her expertise as vocal coach for Cristina Scuccia’s sophomore record Felice. By 2023, she was back in the studio, crafting the English version of La Felicità è una Direzione for Scuccia, which quickly garnered recognition throughout the Italian press and a spotlight on the Mediaset TV show Verissimo.
While thrilling audiences with her vocal and arranging talents, Cialona has carved out a singular niche as the only artist currently working in the U.S. at the intersection of music and environmental design—a practice echoing the innovative spirit of cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s Inspired by Bach music garden project. Over the past several years, Cialona has pioneered methods to enhance musical perception within architectural spaces, merging her dual expertise in performance and spatial acoustics. Her research focuses on how materials interact with sound, specifically selecting surfaces that minimize noise pollution while optimizing natural resonance, with an emphasis on arched forms and curved geometries for their acoustic balance. Her unique methodology transforms sterile interiors into harmonious environments that actively elevate sensory experience. To bring these creative visions to life, Cialona—now head of her own MC Music & Design studio—collaborates with Chapter, a boutique renovation firm, where she helps clients and prominent artists seeking to realize spaces that resonate both aesthetically and acoustically.
United by her unwavering passion for bringing musical worlds together, Monica Cialona stands as a beacon of innovation, enriching New York’s cultural landscape through her refined voice and sophisticated arrangements. As she continues to captivate the city's audiences and grace its iconic stages, one thing is certain: her artistry knows no borders, and her star shines brightly in the city that never sleeps.
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