Rita with the San Juan Symphony, Durango, Colorado. Photo by Kathy Myrick

What the Maestros have to say...

"Rita Chiarelli...a fabulous singer and vocal artist. She makes a song her own, with a voice sublime, then growling with intensity; she carries an audience with her hanging on every word, every note...I look forward to future projects together with great enthusiasm. " Maestro Boris Brott

"From the moment I met Rita, I found her welcoming and engaging.  When we started working together, I found that I was in the presence of a true performer, a wonderful voice and a musical intuitiveness that is rare.  I had a great time with her. I would love to work with her again." Maestro Victor Sawa

 “This lady is the most soulful singer I’ve ever heard." Maestro Arthur Post

What the critics have to say...

"...Chiarelli’s range is astonishing, rising from a comfortable contralto to a rare, high, spinning gospel soprano. More important, she sings with conviction, unspooling narratives of love, loss, memory and regret...For this reviewer, the combination of lament and resignation spiced with humor puts Chiarelli in a blues pantheon..." READ MORE
                                                                                                Dorothy Reynolds, Durango Herald
Rita Chiarelli with the Thunder Bay Symphony

“Accompanied by the TBSO and her own combo, blues diva Rita Chiarelli tore the house down with stormy renditions of her original material. Aside from the obvious fact that she’s a fantastic singer, her songs are actually quite brilliant and original, and as an entertainer she’s hard to beat. For those who missed it, even though the material will be available on CD it’s the concert you really missed.”  Steve Baric, Chronicle Journal

"Give us more was, in fact, the overwhelming response from the thousand-strong audience of blues and symphony fans who rose in a standing ovation at the close of the concert featuring acclaimed blues diva Rita Chiarelli and the fabulous Thunder Bay Symphony.”  Ken Wright

“Her big, expressive vocals are finely suited to the full sound that is an orchestra’s preserve, and this orchestra is adept enough to swing credibly on a jazz number one minute and tackle a country tune the next. Two live tracks find Chiarelli clearly inspired by the orchestra’s power and the crowd’s engagement. She is nothing short of brilliant on I can Change for You.”   Patrick Langston, The Ottawa Citizen