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Olivia Foschi

Olivia Foschi was born in San Francisco and grew up in Italy. Although she always loved to sing, she discovered her passion for jazz while studying guitar and Theory of Music with Roy Zimmerman in high school. Her stylistic approach to singing shifted in 2001 when she was given the opportunity to study classical Nepali voice with established singer and composer Aavaas in Katmandu. This experience brought immense musical inspiration and left her eager to explore her voice paying particular attention to color and rhythm. After earning her B.A. in English Literature Cum Laude (John Cabot University, Rome, Italy, 2004), Olivia moved on to study jazz voice with Cecilia Izzi and nonverbal communication with Italian singer/songwriter Grazia DiMichele at the University of Music in Rome. She subsequently pursued undergraduate studies in jazz performance at the Music Academy in Bologna, 2006-2009.

Olivia was awarded first place at the vocal competition that took place during the “Jazz Women in Blues Festival” (Naima Club, Forlì, Italy, 2009) obtaining a full scholarship to the Venice Voice Academy in L.A. for the 2010 summer-session. She moved to New York in the fall of 2010, studying mixed meter and polyrhythm with Marc Mommaas and voice with Fay Victor and Jeremiah Abiah. Her debut album entitled Perennial Dreamer was released in March 2013, produced by Ulysses Owens Jr. and featuring Gregoire Maret. (Personnel: Ulysses Owens Jr. – drums; Gregoire Maret – harmonica; Miki Hayama – piano; David Rosenthal – guitar; Stacy Dillard – saxophone; Mike Cottone – trumpet/flugelhorn; Michael Olatuja – bass; Cory Pesaturo – accordion).

Olivia has performed throughout the US and Europe and was featured on NPR in 2016 and 2017 on WPPB’s live broadcast: The Jam Session Radio Hour hosted by John Landes and Claes Brondal. Olivia currently teaches at the New York Jazz Workshop and at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and continues to study classical Indian Konnakkol with Ganesh Kumar. She has recorded and shared the stage with Gil Goldstein, Chris White, Warren Smith, Joseph Jarman, Thurman Barker, Ulysses Owens Jr., Gregoire Maret, Alex Sipiagin, Mauricio Zottarelli, Helio Alves, Greg Skaff, Lou Caputo, Erik Lawrence, Stacy Dillard, and Yotam Silberstein among many others.

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Album Review

Olivia Foschi: Perennial Dreamer

Read "Perennial Dreamer" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


San Francisco native and Rome-educated Olivia Foschi is a sophisticated, urbane singer whose debut album Perennial Dreamer is a testament to her mature and worldly outlook. Surrounded by an energetic group of individualistic and trailblazing instrumentalists, Foschi presents a heady mix of original compositions, Italian ballads and jazz standards. Thanks primarily to her rich, smoky voice and sublime, expressive phrasing, this variety remains engaging without sacrificing thematic unity.Much like legendary vocalist Billie Holiday, Foschi personalizes the interpretation of ...

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Album Review

Olivia Foschi: Perennial Dreamer

Read "Perennial Dreamer" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Vocalist Olivia Foschi joins a group of young singers intent on changing the jazz vocals landscape by framing standards in anything other than standard ways. Tierney Sutton is the leader of this new direction, followed by Gretchen Parlato, Jacqui Sutton, Laurie Antonioli and Renee Yoxon. Using the standard acoustic jazz ensembles, these singers use thoughtful arrangements and unique instrumentation to color the time-tested songbook. Foschi brings her airy soprano and her rich vision to such a collection of standards and ...

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Recording

Vocalist Olivia Foschi To Release Sophomore Album Fleeting Windows Produced By Ulysses Owens, Jr. Featuring Acclaimed Producer/Accordionist Gil Goldstein And All Star Line-Up

Vocalist Olivia Foschi To Release Sophomore Album Fleeting Windows Produced By Ulysses Owens, Jr. Featuring Acclaimed Producer/Accordionist Gil Goldstein And All Star Line-Up

Source: ARE Group

Italian-American vocalist Olivia Foschi will release her sophomore album entitled Fleeting Windows on August 24, 2018; the official record release concert is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. that evening at ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, NY. The record was produced by Ulysses Owens, Jr. who plays drums/percussion on all tracks and features Gil Goldstein, accordion/piano/Rhodes; Billy Test, piano/Rhodes; Alex Sipiagin, trumpet/flugelhorn; Daniel Dickinson, bass clarinet/flute/tenor sax/alto sax; Joseph Doubleday, vibraphone; Yotam Silberstein, guitar; and Marco Panascia, bass. Fleeting Windows was driven by ...

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