Michele Gazich: vocals, violin, viola, piano
Giovanna Famulari: vocals, cello, piano
“We live immersed in a reality, in a present so tremendous and incredible (meaning hard to believe), that, at least for me, it has been and still is easier to believe in miracles.”
“In a (probably vain) attempt to balance a world where too many tend to capitalize themselves, the new songs and the title of the album are intentionally written entirely in lowercase letters.” (Michele Gazich)
The album "only miracles make sense tonight in this trench" celebrates the human and artistic friendship between Michele Gazich and Giovanna Famulari. Michele has found in Giovanna the perfect complement to his exploration of music and words. Both artists boast significant collaborations in their careers: Gazich, notably with American songwriters (including a Grammy Award nomination in 2019 for the album "Rifles and Rosary Beads," produced with Mary Gauthier), as well as extensive tours in North America, India, Japan, and North Africa; Famulari, with tours across Italy, Europe, and overseas, has worked alongside greats such as Tosca and Ornella Vanoni. Both artists also work regularly with Moni Ovadia. After five years of fruitful collaboration, the two artists now present a duo project, performed without additional musicians, both in the recording studio and on stage. The concert features a selection of Gazich’s most renowned compositions, including “Storia dell’uomo che vendette la sua ombra” (shortlisted for the 2019 Targa Tenco award), “La Maga e lo Straniero”, “L’Angelo Ucciso” (one of the most celebrated songs dedicated to Pier Paolo Pasolini), and “Come Giona”, a bold rock anthem and Gazich’s signature song, dedicated to the prophet who resisted his calling. In “Come Giona”, an obsessive low cello line intertwines with the relentless rhythm of lyrics inspired by a medieval sequentia about Jonah. The concert’s heart, however, lies in the brand-new album’s songs, where the musical and poetic traditions of Viennese classicism (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven) and early German Romanticism engage in an unprecedented and innovative dialogue with Italian songwriter tradition. In pieces like “perché goethe è partito per l’oriente?”, “sanguedolce”, and the title track “solo i miracoli hanno un senso stanotte in questa trincea”, Gazich’s deep voice alternates with Giovanna’s fresh tones, as violin and viola converse with cello, supported by piano (played by both artists).
Michele Gazich is a musician, poet, artistic producer, composer, and songwriter who has worked professionally in the music world since the early 1990s. His career spans tours across Italy, Europe, and the U.S., collaborations with Italian and European singer-songwriters, American singer-songwriters (including Michelle Shocked, Mary Gauthier, Eric Andersen, and Mark Olson), orchestras, theatrical productions, poetry performances, film soundtracks, and lectures in universities and conservatories. To date, Michele has contributed to over 50 albums and released ten under his own name. His artistic path reflects a nomadic and constant quest for meaning, both creatively and existentially.
Notable works include:
"Una storia di mare e di sangue" (2014), presented at the Spanish Senate on Holocaust Memorial Day
"La via del Sale" (2016), finalist for the Targa Tenco
"Rifles & Rosary Beads" with Mary Gauthier (2018), winner of the Americana UK Award and Grammy-nominated
"Temuto come grido, atteso come canto" (2018), written at the Island of San Servolo in Venice and presented at Palazzo Marino in Milan
"Argon" (2021), performed at the Vittoriale Auditorium, the Folkest International Festival, and the Venetian Jewish Ghetto for European Jewish Culture Day
"Domani si vive e si muore" (2023), co-created with Federico Sirianni, featuring music set to unpublished texts by Michele Straniero.
Through his label, FonoBisanzio, Gazich also curates various productions, including "Fòrte e Gendìle" (2017) by Abruzzese singer-songwriter Lara Molino and "IsolaMenti" (2019) by Raoul Moretti, winner of the L'Artista che non c'era award in 2020.
Giovanna Famulari. A versatile and exceptionally talented musician with a flexible and melodious voice, Giovanna Famulari is a conservatory graduate from Giuseppe Tartini in Trieste. A cellist, pianist, arranger, and producer, she moves seamlessly across genres and styles, from pop to jazz, world music to contemporary compositions, theater to concerts, and film soundtracks. Among her accolades are the Pavoncella d’oro and the 2018 AILA Award. Giovanna has extensive experience in theater and television, where she has worked as a composer, arranger, and musician, performing on numerous RAI television and radio programs. In addition to her solo projects, she collaborates with a wide range of national and international artists, including Ron, Tosca, Moni Ovadia, Ornella Vanoni, and Teho Teardo. She has graced some of the world’s most prestigious stages, performing in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Tunisia, Israel, Palestine, Portugal, France, Spain, Germany, Brazil, and Argentina. Having appeared at FolkClub with Ron in 2013 and with Michele Gazich in 2021, Giovanna Famulari now returns to captivate audiences with her masterful cello and voice.
