A Conversation With Cristina Vaira

Cristina Vaira is an Italian-born singer-songwriter, producer, and music educator whose career spans international performance, recording, and academic leadership. Originally from Milan, Italy, she moved to the United States in 2011 after earning a scholarship to Berklee College of Music, where she now serves as an Associate Professor of Songwriting.

While in Milan, she completed a Master’s degree in Music Business and worked at EMI Music Italy, promoting artists such as Coldplay, Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse, and Katy Perry, among many others.

As a recording artist, Cristina has received national recognition in Italy, with appearances on major radio, television, and press outlets. While still a student at Berklee, she was selected for the semi-final auditions of X Factor Italy. Her emotionally resonant and socially conscious work was recognized by UN Women at the 2021 Global Voices Film Festival.

She is currently working on her upcoming album Phoenix, which explores themes of resilience and rebirth and features collaborations with multi–Grammy-nominated producer Rodney Alejandro, Grammy-nominated composer Esin Aydingoz, alongside internationally acclaimed jazz musicians.

Through both her music and her teaching, Cristina continues to mentor and inspire new generations of artists from around the world, with a particular commitment to empowering women and immigrants to find their voices.