Hailing from Milan, Italy, Maddalena Ghezzi is a London-based singer, composer and improviser. Passionate and curious about using her voice in creative ways, she has been working in the field of jazz, improvised and experimental music since moving to the UK in 2009. Her work draws inspiration from the natural world, literature, visual arts and the socio-political status of our world.
As a leader she has released four EPs, Amethyst (Thodoris Ziarkas), Halite (Ed Blunt), Opal (Francesca Naibo) and Emerald (Maria Chiara Argirò, supported by Help Musicians) part of her series Minerals, and one album, Eŭropo:sen limoj (Europe With No Borders), with her band FUWAH.
Her work was played at BBC Radio 3 (Freeness), BBC Radio 6 (Tom Ravenscroft) Radio Popolare (Prospettive Musicali), Rai Radio 3 (Battiti) Soho Radio (Tamar Osbourn), Pure Jazz Radio and Jazz Is NYC (Chris Hodgkins). Ghezzi was featured in Womxn Of Music Business online platform and her work with her trio Stanza Da Tre has been covered by the The Islington Gazette.
As a collaborator, her most recent collaborations are Alpine Plateau with Ruth Goller, call and responses (Andrew Page), Parasang 8 (Pouya Ehsaei/Manana Records) and Animal Choir (Robbie Judkins).
With her project Maddalena has performed at Milan Jazz Festival, at the Southbank Centre, Vortex Jazz Club and Hundred Years Gallery and others.
Maddalena studied jazz singing with Brigitte Beraha and is currently deepening her research in singing, Libero Canto, improv and composition with Sara Serpa. To broaden her understanding of the voice she have attended workshops in Mongolian throat singing (Michael Orminston and Candida Valentino), Yiddish and Russian songs (Polina Shepherd), Maquam music (Louai Alhenawi) and others.
Maddalena is part of This Is A Movement an initiative to create a more equitable music industry through an intersectional feminist provocation.
“who wants ordinary when you can have the extraordinary!”Sammy Stein
[Emerald] this gorgeousnessTom Ravenscroft, BBC Radio6
brilliant experimental vocalistGeorge Nelson
le modulazioni cangianti della cantante di base a Londra rappresenta un’ammaliante varco d’ingresso verso l’inconsueto, obliquo universo sonoro proposto.Beppe Trotta
irresistible and impressive experimentationCF Smith, Twisted Soul