Cambridge welcomes Carly Paoli

The classically-trained vocalist spoke to the Cambridge Independent before her recent performance at the Corn Exchange.

Having released her stunning debut album, Singing My Dreams, in June, great things are expected of the Nottinghamshire-born singer/lyricist, whose mother’s family hail from Puglia in Italy.

A few hours before sharing the stage with Collabro at the Cambridge Corn Exchange earlier this month, the 28-year-old – who has previously sung with the likes of José Carreras Andrea Bocelli – told the Cambridge Independent:

“It’s been a whirlwind; my debut album’s actually just gone back up to number 11 now [on the world classical charts], but when it was first released it went to number two and stayed there for nine weeks consecutively.

“So now, with this tour, fingers crossed a little bit of excitement’s bubbling again and we’ve had amazing reviews so far – it’s been a fantastic experience.” Carly, more famous in Italy than she is in the UK, continued:

“I was inspired to sing through watching the MGM musicals, so I fell in love with Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, and it was that incredible ability to share a story through song.

“I’ve always had a classical voice, so I was trained with a classical technique – and it’s applying both of those worlds that I can add the drama that you get from classical music and the vocal range, but then still keeping the story as the main event.”

Carly trained at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and, unusually for a classical singer, also writes her own lyrics.

Three of the songs on Singing My Dreams feature lyrics penned by the artist herself, including Memory of You, which is Carly’s words set to the theme of the 1994 film Legends of the Fall.

“The first time I came to perform this song live was in Windsor Castle for His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall,” she recalled.

carlypaoli.com