Nina Zilli

The stage name Nina Zilli was adopted in 2009 by Maria Chiara Fraschetta, who combined her mother’s surname with the first name of Nina Simone. Born in 1980 in Piacenza, Italy, she built a career as a versatile musician, recording artist, and radio personality, gaining prominence for her distinctive pop sound and significant contributions to contemporary Italian music charts.

Early Musical Development

Born to a father from Emilia-Romagna and a mother from Apulia, she spent her youth in Gossolengo. Her formal musical training began at thirteen when she started opera studies at a conservatory. Before gaining solo fame, she founded the band The Jerks in 1997. Following her secondary education at the Liceo Scientifico Respighi, she relocated to the United States for two years, living in Chicago and New York.

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Broadcasting and Band Work

Between 2000 and 2001, she worked as a co-presenter on the show Roxy Bar and began a role as a VJ for MTV Italy. Concurrently, she pursued academic interests at the IULM University of Milan, graduating in Public Relations. During this period, she led a musical group called Chiara e gli Scuri, founded in 2000, though their planned debut album was never released due to label disputes.

Commercial Breakthrough

Her career shifted with the 2009 release of the single 50mila, which featured Giuliano Palma and appeared in the film Loose Cannons. Her self-titled EP followed in 2011. She reached a broader audience at the 2010 Sanremo Music Festival, where her entry L’uomo che amava le donne earned the Critics’ Award and the Press, Radio & TV Award, propelling her debut album, Sempre lontano, to platinum status.

Eurovision and Television

In 2012, she participated in the Sanremo Music Festival with Per sempre and was subsequently selected to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. Performing L’amore è femmina (Out of Love), she secured ninth place. Later in her career, she served as a television judge on Italia's Got Talent from 2015 to 2017 while continuing to record studio albums including Frasi & fumo and Modern Art.