Rachel Zeffira
{{Short description|Canadian-born soprano, composer, and multi-instrumentalist}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Rachel Zeffira
| image =
| caption = Studio shot of Cat's Eyes in London, 2016
| birth_name = Rachel Anne Santesso
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| genre =
| occupation = Vocalist, musician, singer-songwriter, conductor, choral arranger
| years_active =
| instrument = Vocals, piano, keyboards, oboe, cor anglais, violin, viola, percussion
| label =
| current_member_of = Cat's Eyes
}}
Rachel Zeffira (born Rachel Anne Santesso){{Cite web|url=https://www.sadaic.org.ar/obras.autor.php?codigo=179128|title=obras.form|website=Sadaic.org.ar|accessdate=2 August 2020}} is a Canadian soprano, composer and multi-instrumentalist, currently based in London, England. She is also one half of the duo Cat's Eyes, the other being Faris Badwan of the Horrors.Tucker, Rebecca. [http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/01/24/canadian-opera-singer-british-rock-star-hook-up-at-the-vatican/ "Canadian opera singer, British rock star hook up at the Vatican"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120701170921/http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/01/24/canadian-opera-singer-british-rock-star-hook-up-at-the-vatican/ |date=1 July 2012 }}. National Post. 24 January 2011.
Life and work
=Early life=
Zeffira studied voice and organ at the Conservatorio Di Musica F.E. Dall'Abaco di Verona and oboe at the University of Victoria in Canada.{{Cite web|title = About The Choir|url = http://www.capitalchoir.com/about/|website = Capital Children's Choir|accessdate = 2016-01-10}} She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and in 2001, founded the Capital Children's Choir, which she also directs.{{cite web|author=Nadine Cheung |url=http://popcrush.com/lady-gaga-capital-childrens-choir-judas-cover/ |title=Lady Gaga Approves of Capital Children's Choir's Haunting 'Judas' Cover |website=Popcrush.com |date=16 July 2011 |accessdate=2016-01-08}} Several videos of the choir's covers of contemporary songs such as "Chances" and "Untrust Us" received media attention and went viral.{{cite web|author=Melissa Locker |url=https://time.com/4078265/choir-school-kids-the-strokes-cover/ |title=Capital Children's Choir Covers The Strokes "Chances" |website=Time |date=2015-10-19 |access-date=2016-01-08}}{{cite web|author=Nme.Com |url=https://www.nme.com/news/crystal-castles/71736 |title=London children's choir covers Crystal Castles' 'Untrust Us' – watch |website=Nme.com |date=2013-07-30 |accessdate=2016-01-08}} Zeffira released several albums with the Capital Children's Choir, and in 2015, the choir performed on the soundtrack for the film Pan. As a soprano, she released two albums, The Songs of Louis Vierne (2005) and The Sacred Heart of Nino Rota (2007).
Zeffira taught briefly at a primary school in London, where she taught a young Lily Allen, who has credited Zeffira as a mentor.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/video-youth-choir-has-online-hit-with-lily-allen-song-6778573.html |title=VIDEO: Youth choir has online hit with Lily Allen song | News | London Evening Standard |website=Standard.co.uk |date=2009-07-16 |accessdate=2016-01-08}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/13/celebrity.television |title=What were today's celebrities like as children? | Life and style |newspaper=The Guardian |accessdate=2016-01-08}}
=Cat's Eyes=
While Zeffira was working as an opera singer and classical musician, she met Badwan. The two friends began to write songs together and formed the band Cat's Eyes. The duo made their first public appearance at the Vatican,{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/music/2013/03/12/rachel-zeffira-interview-the-deserters/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804133514/http://www.mtv.com/news/music/2013/03/12/rachel-zeffira-interview-the-deserters/|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 August 2020|title=News - Entertainment, Music, Movies, Celebrity|website=Mtv.com|accessdate=2 August 2020}} where they performed one of their songs as a mass setting, with church organ and choir during a service at St. Peter's Basilica. Cat's Eyes were signed by Polydor in 2010 and released their eponymous debut album in April 2011. The album received positive press and critical acclaim.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/cats-eyes/cats-eyes|title=Cat's Eyes by Cat's Eyes|accessdate=2 August 2020|website=Metacritic.com}} During this time, Zeffira appeared in Vogue magazine,{{Cite web|url=http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/artist-of-the-week-cats-eyes-rachel-zeffira/#1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211180344/http://www.vogue.com/culture/article/artist-of-the-week-cats-eyes-rachel-zeffira/#1|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 December 2013|title=Artist of the Week: Cat's Eyes' Rachel Zeffira - Culture - Music, Movies, Art, Profiles, and More|date=11 December 2013|accessdate=2 August 2020}} and was shot by the photographer Rankin{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSHib-Lv2UA|title=20 + 20 Covers: Bobby Gillespie X Cat's Eyes|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=2 August 2020}} for the cover of Dazed & Confused alongside Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream.
=Solo work=
Zeffira's first solo album, The Deserters, was released 10 December 2012 on RAF Records in Europe and Paper Bag Records in North America. The title track was chosen for the trailer to the final season of the TV program Skins.{{cite web |url=http://www.umusicpub.co.uk/en-GB/Artists/R/Rachel-Zeffira.aspx%23/en-GB/FilmAndTv/2013/Jun/Rachel-Zeffira-for-Skins-Season-7-Trailer.aspx |title=Rachel Zeffira | Universal Music Publishing UK |website=www.umusicpub.co.uk |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131206192926/http://www.umusicpub.co.uk/en-GB/Artists/R/Rachel-Zeffira.aspx%23/en-GB/FilmAndTv/2013/Jun/Rachel-Zeffira-for-Skins-Season-7-Trailer.aspx |archive-date=6 December 2013 |url-status=dead}} Zeffira received positive press for the debut{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/zjrj/|title=BBC - Music - Review of Rachel Zeffira - The Deserters|first=Daniel|last=Ross|website=Bbc.co.uk|accessdate=2 August 2020}}
{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/dec/09/rachel-zeffira-the-deserters-review|title=Rachel Zeffira: The Deserters – review|date=9 December 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=2 August 2020}} and the album was listed in The Times Top 5 albums of 2012 in spite of its late release date.The Times, 21 December 2012
Zeffira also received critical praise for her live performances.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list/profile/article/rachel-zeffira-at-union-chapel-n1-rs2h856fm6t|title=Rachel Zeffira at Union Chapel, N1|first=Will|last=Hodgkinson|access-date=2 August 2020|website=The Times}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/rachel-zeffira-st-andrews-holborn-london-8221770.html|title=Rachel Zeffira, St Andrews, Holborn, London|date=22 October 2012|newspaper=The Independent|accessdate=2 August 2020}} In June 2013. she was the opening act for Glastonbury Festival 2013.{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/jun/27/new-music-rachel-zeffira-because|title=Rachel Zeffira – Because: New music|date=27 June 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=2 August 2020}}
In April 2013, Zeffira made her American radio debut on NPR's All Things Considered,{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2013/04/16/177471795/rachel-zeffira-an-opera-deserter-embraces-dreamy-pop|title=Rachel Zeffira: An Opera 'Deserter' Embraces Dreamy Pop|website=Npr.org|accessdate=2 August 2020}} and later made her Canadian radio debut with a live session on CBC Radio One show Q with Jian Ghomeshi{{cite web |url=http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/07/05/rachel-zeffiras-surprising-life-and-art/ |title=Rachel Zeffira's surprising life and art | Q with Jian Ghomeshi | CBC Radio |website=www.cbc.ca |access-date=14 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212143627/http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2013/07/05/rachel-zeffiras-surprising-life-and-art/ |archive-date=12 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}
=Film score compositions=
Zeffira is listed as composer, arranger, orchestrator, conductor, musician and soprano on the Cat's Eyes soundtrack (released in February 2015) for the 2014 film The Duke of Burgundy, directed by Peter Strickland. The score received positive press and majority 5-star reviews.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-rich-list/profile/article/the-duke-of-burgundy-cats-eyes-tbnp790x0w0|title=The Duke of Burgundy: Cat's Eyes|first=Will|last=Hodgkinson|access-date=2 August 2020|website=The Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/feb/12/cats-eyes-the-duke-of-burgundy-soundtrack-review|title=Cat's Eyes: The Duke of Burgundy soundtrack review – eerie beauty from Faris Badwan and Rachel Zeffira|first=Jon|last=Dennis|date=12 February 2015|accessdate=2 August 2020|website=Theguardian.com}} On 7 November 2015, it was announced that Zeffira and Badwan had won the European Film Award for Best Composer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/efa-tech-honors-goodnight-mommy-834790|title='Goodnight Mommy,' 'The Lobster,' 'Body' Win EFA Tech Honors|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=27 October 2015|accessdate=2 August 2020}}
Discography
=As conductor and choral arranger=
=Cat's Eyes=
- Broken Glass EP (2011, Polydor)
- Cat's Eyes (2011, Polydor)
- The Duke of Burgundy (2015, RAF/Caroline International)
- Treasure House (2016, Kobalt Label Services)
=Solo=
- The Deserters (2012, RAF)
=Singles=
- "Here on In" (2012, RAF)
- "Break the Spell" (2012, RAF)
References
{{Reflist}}
Other sources
{{refbegin}}
- Lanham, Tom. [https://archive.today/20130202013627/http://www.sfexaminer.com/blogs/backstage-pass/2011/02/horrors-faris-badwan-sees-new-success-cat-s-eyes "The Horrors’ Faris Badwan sees new success with Cat’s Eyes"]. The San Francisco Examiner. 2 February 2011.
- NME interview .[https://www.nme.com/news/the-horrors/54673 "Horrors' Faris Badwan launches new band at the Vatican"]. 24 January 2011.
{{refend}}
External links
- [http://catseyes.tv Cat's Eyes official website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130511022742/http://soundcheck.wnyc.org/2013/may/07/opera-orchestral-pop-rachel-zeffira-studio/ WNYC interview in the Soundcheck studio]
{{Cat's Eyes}}
{{European Film Award for Best Composer}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeffira, Rachel}}
Category:British women singers
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Canadian people of Italian descent
Category:Paper Bag Records artists
Category:21st-century British conductors (music)
Category:British women conductors (music)