Gabriella Liandu

is a Zambian-Scottish singer and creative, passionate about versatility and malleability of the voice. Being raised in the Middle East, her vibrant cultural upbringing and eclectic background is reflected through her artistry and style as a writer and performer. She enjoys exploring the art of storytelling through her own words and music.

The Mezzo-Soprano takes her roots in performing within the Opera world. She completed her Vocal and Operatic studies, graduating with First Class Honours in Music, followed by a Masters (with Distinction) in Jazz, from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, winning the B:Music Jazz Prize (prev. known as the Jazzlines THSH Final Year Prize for Overall Excellence in Performance and Leadership) and the award of Leverhulme Arts Scholar. Her experience covers a wide range of genres, which can be seen in her work in various fields of the music industry.

This summer, amongst her run of festivals, Gabriella made her Mostly Jazz Festival debut. The artist first made her Jazz debut at Cheltenham Jazz Festival in 2021, after selling out Eastside Jazz Club for her self-produced crossover show Juntos A La Par. She has since formed her own ensembles, performing original works and arrangements around the country. In November 2022, she was the soloist for ‘Music of the Unseen’, a UK tour of music scored for voice and orchestra by composer Bobbie-Jane Gardner and filmmaker B+ celebrating composer-arrangers Charles Stepney and David Axelrod.

Her wide-ranging ensemble work also includes working with choirs. In 2020 she joined Lichfield Gospel Choir as the Associate Music Director and they have since been shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award. As well as running her own choir, she has been singing with Ex Cathedra since 2018, working as a Student Scholar, Graduate Scholar and, as of January 2023, the Young Person Representative on the choir’s board. Much of her recent work with the choir has involved close collaboration with composer Liz Dilnot Johnson, culminating in an Ivor Novello Award winning project and glowing reviews for other works.

Gabriella has also forged her own way in the music world off-stage, building her off-stage presence through delivering workshops and singing lessons, as well as working with Birmingham Opera Company, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Vache Baroque and Music of Life in Opera making and music workshops, focusing her efforts on community outreach in the West-Midlands and beyond.