Patrizia Ferrara

Patrizia Ferrara was born into the bicultural home of her Sicilian father and Austrian mother. Settled on the border of Italy and South Austria, she grew up training to be a light athlete, but only until the age of 13 when she unfortunately had a bike accident that injured her knee in such a way that she had to stop completely. "Giving up on this dream was not easy for me and finding something new to believe in, and to work for, was just not happening for many years."

"After school I started working as a hairdresser, I was 16 years old. I started singing when I was 18, out of fun without any kind of direction or expectation, untrained, and folks liked it. I moved to Vienna, the capitol of Austria and started connecting with musicians and soon I performed on a regular basis with the Brazilian singer Celia Mara.� �Growing up bilingual made me pick up languages fast and so the road continued internationally,working with African, Columbian, and Cuban artists until I found the music that made we wanne go to school and study. �JAZZ.�

She studied voice and piano at the Gustav Mahler Conservatory in Vienna and graduated with honors in 2002. Patrizia Ferrara's voice and music is often described as soothing, and intimate. Her original music is inspirational, hearty, and warm. It is firmly rooted in Nu-Jazz, R&B, and Acoustic Brazilian Rhythms and performed in english, italian, portuguese and spanish, with two nylon string guitars and percussion.

"In 2004 I met the singer and composer Dean Bowman and the pianist Danny Grissett in Europe. In 2005 I did my first New York tour with Dean Bowman sponsored by the Austrian Culture Institute. I then decided to stay in New York. Since my arrival to New York I have been a part of various singer/songwriter showcases and performed with my group at the Blue Note late night groove series, 55 Bar, Zinc Bar, Smoke, Sweet Rhythm, and the Austrian Culture Forum." Patrizia Ferrara has worked, toured and or recorded with John Heard, Dean Bowman, Vinx, James Weidman, Danny Grissett, Lonnie Plaxico, Kyle Eastwood, DJ DSL, Urbs (G-Stone Records the label of Kruder and Dorfmeister), John Sass, Stereotyp (G-Stone Records), Al Haka, and the poet Christian Ide Hintze. International highlights include performances with her band at Joe Zawinul's Birdland, Porgy & Bess, Vienna City Festival, Cafe ZAN in Ramallah/Palestine, and the Italian Consul General in Jerusalem.

In New York Patrizia Ferrara works regularly with Dean Bowman (renown for his vocal work with Don Byron, Dewey Redman, Screaming Headless Torsos and John Scofield), pianist Danny Grissett (renown as a sideman of choice for artists such as Tom Harrell, Vincent Herring and Nicholas Payton), Brooklyn Emanuel Baptist Church Choir, Chulo Gatewood, Annekei, Marcos Vigio, and Jorge Amorim. She has worked and or toured and recorded with John Heard, Dean Bowman, Vinx, James Weidman, Lonnie Plaxico, Kyle Eastwood, Sertab Erener (winner of the Eurovision song contest 2003), Jon Sass (Ray Anderson, Boston Symphony Brass, David Murry), Chester C. Washington (Earth, Wind and Fire), Rudi Wilfer, Christian Ide Hintze, Fred Eisler, DJ Cut-EX, DSL, Urbs (G-Stone Records the label of Kruder and Dorfmeister), Stereotyp (G-Stone Records), Al Haka, JazznBass, Prince Zeka,......

�I have used Patrizia in one of my productions and have heard her talent over many years. She has an awesome voice. Simply one of the best ..... she has soul.� - JON SASS Show less