FARAUALLA (Italy)

Gabriella Schiavone, vocals
Teresa Vallarella, vocals, tambourine
Maristella Schiavone, vocals
Loredana Savino, vocals

Prominent Italian vocal ensemble from Puglia will offer a journey into the universe of polyphony, moving lightly between dialect and linguistic invention, boldly exploring multiple languages and techniques of the voice.

Faraualla is an all-female vocal quartet from Apulia that has been exploring the expressive and sonic dimensions of polyphony and the human voice as an instrument since 1995. Comprising Gabriella Schiavone, Maristella Schiavone, Teresa Vallarella, and Loredana Savino, the ensemble moves freely between different languages, dialect, and linguistic invention, combining a broad spectrum of vocal techniques with an ongoing dialogue between tradition and contemporary expression. Apulian musical heritage remains the creative point of departure: traditional material is transformed into original compositions in which Italian, English, and the Bari dialect intertwine with an imaginative, invented language. Through the layering of voices, timbres, breaths, and languages, Faraualla creates a distinctive polyphonic texture that transcends conventional genre boundaries.

Over three decades, Faraualla has released seven albums and established itself as a prominent presence on the international vocal scene. The quartet has performed at venues including the Kammermusiksaal of the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in Rome, and the Piccolo Teatro in Milan, as well as at festivals throughout Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Corsica, and Albania. Their concert activity has also taken them across North America, Switzerland, Poland, and South Africa. Their artistic collaborations include Luciano Berio, Franco Battiato, Maria Pia De Vito, Lucilla Galeazzi, Mohsen Namjoo, Michelangelo Pistoletto, and Pino Minafra, alongside numerous other musicians and cultural institutions.

Among the ensemble’s distinctions are the Premio Quartetto Cetra (1997), France’s Choc de la Musique (2002), the Premio Nazionale Città di Loano per la musica tradizionale italiana (2007), and the Premio Enzo Del Re (2025). In 2013, Faraualla reached the Top 10 of the World Music Charts Europe, while in 2008 the ensemble was featured in a Songlines playlist curated by Wim Wenders.

Culla e Tempesta (2024), marking the quartet’s return to the recording studio after eleven years, comprises fourteen tracks exploring contrasts between poetry and violence, joy and sacrifice, war and resistance, fairy tale and harsh reality. Drawing on the seemingly boundless expressive possibilities of the human voice, Faraualla continues its exploration of sound and polyphony, shaping a distinctive vocal language that resists fixed stylistic categories. The album’s 2024 tour included more than thirty performances and extended as far as South Africa.