(09 December 2007) Italian-Canadian soprano Giorgia Fumanti released her debut album, From My Heart (Manhattan Records (USA) 0946 3 32175 2 2, 2007) in March 2007. This stunning singer's music has been likened to Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman and Enya. Her music varies between pop and classical, and Giorgia's soaring vocals are pure and graceful.

Giorgia was born in the Tuscan village of Fivizzano and grew up in the nearby town of Aulla, which is still her family home. As a teenager, she first discovered that she could sing and she joined her church choir, the Città di Aulla Choir. She recounted, "I was shy as a teenager but in the choir on that first day, I opened my mouth and out came this soprano voice, totally without self-consciousness. Everyone was in shock. Within three months I had become the soloist in the Christmas concert."

Her parents had hoped that she would become a lawyer or go into the family mercantile business. She nearly did complete her law degree, but left law school with two exams unfinished. When she was 23 years old, she decided to sing professionally. Giorgia enrolled in the Conservatorio di Musica "Arrigo Boito" in Parma, where she studied for three years. She decided that she did not want to follow the opera path.

In 2002, she moved to Montreal, Canada to work with manager, Maurice Velenosi of MCM Entertainment Management. Her first album, Like A Dream was released in 2004 on the Canadian independent label Isba Music Entertainment. She did tour internationally and her work brought much acclaim. Within a year, major labels were pursuing her and she later signed with Angel Records/EMI.

Produced by Craig Leon, the album features Giorgia's stunning acoustic-flavored musical version of Sting's "Fields of Gold" (Campi d’Oro), and four Ennio Morricone classic film scores including themes from The Mission, Cinema Paradiso and Once Upon a Time in the West. It was recorded in the Abbey Road Studios in London with the English Chamber Choir, and the Netherlands Media Orchestra.

Throughout this album, there is a clarity and pureness of sound in her stunning vocals. There is a confidence and definitive style to her music interpretations. While she is compared to Bocelli and Brightman, Giorgia certainly has her own distinctive character in her singing. She displays her classical training and background on songs like the "Aria" (based on "The Swan" from Saint-Saens). There is a fun-loving side to her singing that she shows on songs like "Espiritu," with its choral backgrounds, and "Volero," another song featuring Giorgia's own Italian lyrics. Her diverse repetoire includes a salute to another of her heroes with her own take on Barbra Streisand's "I've Dreamed of You.”

In addition to focussing on her music, Giorgia has a longtime passion for helping others. She is the World Ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Association of Quebec (L'Association de paralysie cérébrale du Québec), performing concerts, meeting with members and doing what she can to increase awareness of the condition. With her valuable time devoted to such important causes, music remains at the forefront for this talented singer.

When looking towards the future, she says, "When I was a child people asked me what I wanted to do. I said I wanted to be a missionary. Now my dream is to be a missionary through my music and share with people all the emotions that music makes me feel."

Giorgia Fumanti has a captivating musical style that enraptures the listener. The emotions evoked in her music reflect her devotion to her craft. She is certainly impressive with her diverse styles and she shows great maturity. Her music is certainly from the heart.--Audrey Elliot in New York