The Alexara Duet, made up of Alessio Zorba keyboards,piano/voice and Sara Marchelli voice (married since September 2015),

was born in 1997 after a musical collaboration for the year-end music exhibition at the Music School in Acqui Terme. Considering their perfect musical agreement, they started preparing a wide repertoire so that they could perform in the clubs of their towns. Little by little the Alexara have become more and more close-knit, and this fact allowed them to improve both individually and as a duet. In recent years they have performed in country feasts, weddings (both in church and during the meal), clubs, pubs, wine bars, private parties, summer itinerant festivals in their town. Their activity took them to collaborate with the “Zotto” musical group during the festival dedicated to Luigi Tenco in Ricaldone. At the same festival they performed opening the Max Gazzè and Quintorigo live concert. Gaetano Pellino (singer Neffa’s brother), after arranging two Alessio’s unreleased songs, wanted the duet to take part in one of his live concerts and asked them to contribute to the making of one of his CDs.

The Alexara worked as musicians with Samarcanda Agency in the summer 2007, at a tourist resort in Puglia, and in November 2007 they won

the ‘Best 2007’ prize as the best entertainers in their resort. From January to March 2008 they collaborated with Valtur Agency at their tourist resort in Marilleva. In the summer 2008 they worked at the Hotel “Marina Uno” in Lignano Riviera.

From October 2008 they have been working for MSC Cruise, Corsica Ferries, Viking River Cruise, with the following shipboard jobs:

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• MSC Melody – South Africa (October 27, 2008 – May 8, 2009)

• MSC Armonia – Mediterranean (June 15 – October 19, 2009)

• MSC Splendida – Mediterranean (November 27, 2009 – January 20, 2010)

• MSC Armonia – Mediterranean (April 19 – September 20, 2010)

• MSC Melody – Mediterranean (March 25 – September 24, 2011)

• MSC Melody – Mediterranean (March 10 – September 12, 2012)

• MSC Opera– Mediterranean (September 16 – November 21, 2012)

• Grand Hotel Nuove Terme-Acqui Terme (December 2011-January 2012)

• MSC Orchestra-Brasil(November 25 – March 25, 2013)

• MSC Mgnifica-Brasil(September 29– April 16, 2014)

• MSC Lirica-Mediterranean(summer season 2014)

• December 31, 2014 Hotel Oswald Selva Gardena

• MSC Fantasia Mediterranean (summer season 2015)

• Mega Smeralda Corsica Ferries-Corsica/France(winter season 2015-2016)

• Hotel AC Torino-Private Event French Club Ferrrari/Lamborghini/Porsche 2016

• MSC Magnifica-Mediterranean (September-December 2016)

• December 31,2016 Hotel Ladinia Pozza di Fassa

• Mega Andrea Corsica Ferries-Corsica/France(summer season 2017)

• Pascal Lota Corsica Ferries-Corsica/France(September-November 2017)

• December 31,2017 Hotel Ladinia Pozza di Fassa

• Viking River Cruise-Budapest/Amsterdam(July-November 2018)

• December 31,2018 Hotel Alpen Corona Vigo di Fassa

• Viking River Cruise-Budapest/Amsterdam(March-November2019)

• December 31,2019 Hotel Valentino Acqui Terme

 

SARA MARCHELLI: was born in Alessandria on October 1st, 1981 and resides in Acqui Terme. From 1990 to 2000 she was a member of the soprano section in the “Coro Voci Bianche” (boy and girl’s voice choir) of the Music School of Acqui Terme, conducted by Chorus Master Enrico Pesce, where she performed as soloist voice. In this period she got the diploma in “Orientamento musicale di tipo corale” (Music orientation: choral type) after a two-year course supported by Regione Piemonte. From 1990 to 2000 she took singing lessons from the soprano opera singer Annamaria Gheltrito, refining and improving her vocal technique. She took part in several and prestigious courses held by teachers of undisputed reputation: the last, chronologically speaking, was the one organised in Cairo Montenotte by the jazz singer Danila Satragno. In 1997 she began an intense period of concert and piano bar performances with the pianist Alessio Zorba; this activity has been going on so far. In 1998 she collaborated as vocalist with the rap group "Grabba la 220". With the same group she participated to the contest "Divi di domani" (Tomorrow’s stars) organised by Andromeda Plus, with the supervision of Tonino Ansoldi. In May 2000 she contributed to the recording of the CD "Io, Uomo" (Me, Man),

made by Circolo Didattico of the State Schools of Acqui Terme. In July of the same year she performed as vocalist of the group "Zotto" in some of their live concerts; one of the concerts was in Ricaldone in the occasion of the festival "L’isola in collina" (The island on the hill) dedicated to Luigi Tenco. Since 2001 she has been going on with her studies with the teacher Marina Marauda, esteemed singer, always refining her singing ability.

 

ALESSIO ZORBA: was born in Nizza Monferrato (AT) on July 1st, 1981 and he resides in Rivalta Bormida (AL). At nine years of age he started taking piano lessons with Master Stefano Coccon at the Music School of Acqui Terme. After a few years he went on with his studies with Master Enrico Pesce. Considering Alessio’s talent as a pianist and vocalist, Master Pesce wanted him to accompany the Coro di Voci Bianche (boy and girl’s voice choir). From 1996 to 2000 he was a member of the choir. During this period he obtained the diploma in “Orientamento musicale di tipo corale” (Music orientation: choral type) after a two-year course supported by Regione Piemonte. In 1996 he attended a jazz music stage in Acqui Terme, organised in the occasion of the festival "Acqui in Jazz". One of the special guests at the festival, and teacher at the stage, was the famous saxophonist Paul Jeffrey, also teacher of Jazz Improvisation Technique at Duke University in North Carolina. In 1997 Alessio began an intense period of concert and piano bar performances with the singer Sara Marchelli; this activity has been going on so far. In 1999 he participated to a specialisation course in jazz music at the Cairo Montenotte school, organised by the jazz singer Danila Satragno. The teacher for the piano section was the well-known jazz pianist Riccardo Zegna. Considering Alessio’s talent, Zegna asked him to perform in the end-course concert in several songs, playing duets also with Paul Jeffrey, special guest for the event. In May 2000 he contributed as pianist and vocalist to the recording of the CD "Io, Uomo" (Me, Man), made by Circolo Didattico of the State Schools of Acqui Terme. In July of the same year he performed as keyboard player for the group ‘Zotto’ in some of their live concerts; one of the concerts was in Ricaldone in the occasion of the festival "L’isola in collina" (The island on the hill) dedicated to Luigi Tenco. When Alessio was 16 he started writing his own songs as singer-songwriter, and he went on writing several Italian light music songs. With some of these songs he took part in different contests of unreleased songs, such as "Spiga d’oro" in Quargnento (AL) and "Ribalta sotto le stelle" in Acqui Terme. In 2003 he started taking singing lessons from Marina Marauda, teacher and singer, improving his singing qualities. He has been going on with his activity of musician and singer-songwriter with the singer Sara Marchelli so far.                                                                                                                                    

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