Badrya Razem

Badrya Razem  was born in 1994 and began her studies in classical piano at a young age. She holds both undergraduate (Diploma Accademico di I livello) and postgraduate (Diploma Accademico di II livello) academic qualifications in Jazz Vocals, and a postgraduate specialization (Diploma Accademico di II livello) in Opera Singing. Her dissertations, all awarded the highest honours (grade of 110 with distinction and honourable mention), focus on experimental research projects.

In 2014, she embarked on a tour with the Matera Big Band Jazz in Germany and Poland.

She was the soloist for the “Concorso del 2 Agosto”, a concert held in Piazza Maggiore, Bologna, accompanied by the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Alessandro Cadario. On that occasion, she performed a contemporary experimental repertoire. On stage, these great Musicians performed with her: Ivano Battiston, Enzo Filippetti and Alessandro Castelli.

In July 2018, she headlined the renowned Bari in Jazz Festival, performing an experimental repertoire that blends jazz with electro music.Also in 2018, in various Italian theatres, she shared the stage with the Duni Jazz Choir, founded by Mario Rosini, Fabrizio Bosso, and Simona Bencini on behalf of a US production. She featured in several productions with the Magna Grecia ICO Orchestra, showcasing a diverse repertoire spanning jazz, pop, and soul genres. She has collaborated with various orchestras in theatres, including the Arturo Toscanini Philharmonic, the Petruzzelli Orchestra, the Matera Symphony Orchestra, the Eclectic Inside Orchestra conducted by Ettore Papadia, the Lucanian Soloists Orchestra, the Magna Grecia ICO Orchestra, the Orchestra Sinfonica Lucana (Lucanian Symphony Orchestra), and the “Nuovi Spazi Sonori” Symphony Orchestra. In November and December 2019, she set off on two tours respectively in Norway and Lithuania with Maestro Cipriani. Alongside the Duni Jazz Choir, she opened the concert and performed a duet with Maestro Danilo Rea on his original composition “Peace”. In December 2022, she released her first album with the Duni Jazz Choir, published by the ABeat Jazz label. She published her experimental research thesis entitled “Bill Evans, il pianista che ha fatto cantare il silenzio” (Bill Evans, the pianist who made silence sing).

For three years in a row, starting from 2020, she sang as a soloist mezzo-soprano in the Stabat Mater by Pergolesi, performed in Matera with the Basilicata 131 Orchestra. In August 2021, she headlined the “Matera Open Sound” Festival, captivating the audience with her improvisational prowess, seamlessly transitioning from Free Jazz to Arabic improvisations, all deeply rooted in her cultural heritage.

In August 2022, she recorded her voice, alongside Roberto Ottaviano’s saxophone, for the “Worlds Beyond” album by Antonello Losacco, bass player and composer. The album was published by GleAM Records and distributed by IRD/Believe

She collaborated with drummer Fabio Accardi on an original project dedicated to B. Bacharach, titled “Close to you – Celebrating Bacharach”, featured in various jazz festivals. She lent her voice for the Kosmos and Chaos project, which includes a collection of original compositions by bassist Pierluigi Balducci, exploring different perspectives and nuances of jazz music.

In August 2023, she served as the soloist for “SINGER-IA”, a multimedia concert for the Acqua Corrente Festival, organised in collaboration with the Fadiesis Musical Association, a Materelettrica production. The concert was held at the former Hydroelectric Power Plant “A.Pitter” Malnisio in Pordenone (Italy). She is currently working on her debut solo album, entirely dedicated to Bill Evans, which is the result of meticulous work and extensive research.

She constantly seeks out new sound landscapes, fine-tuning her vocal techniques with careful attention to detail, all the while celebrating her Arab heritage. Since 2022, she has been teaching jazz singing at the “F. Cilea” Conservatory of Music in Reggio Calabria. Currently, she also holds teaching positions at the “Vittadini” Conservatory of Music in Pavia, and at the “Marcello” Conservatory of Music in Venice.