By Natasha Barbieri
CONCERT DAY
Singing since her early teen years, Teresa de Roberto has found a receptive audience with her booming soprano voice and infectious personality. Some of the highlights in her career include performing on the BBC with Kiri te Kanawa, and at the London’s 02 Arena and the FA Cup as well as traveling around the world in places like Egypt and India. She graduated from the Italia Conti Academy of Performing Arts.
Teresa is an engaging show woman whose interactive crossover concerts are sure to delight fans. To catch her in action, follow her schedule at teresaderoberto.com
What happens on my concert day?
So “concert” day is a pretty big thing for independent artists. We’ve worked hard for many, many months trying to select the right venue, the right dress and the right music, so our fans and new followers can have a special day! It’s our way of not only attracting new people, but to thank our supporters and just have a very good time. I’m the type of person who gets involved with every aspect of my performances from choosing the venue to designing the flyers and going out busking to get the word out there. So, here’s a little sneak peek into what I get up to on this type of day…..
7:30 AM
And they say showbiz is glamorous.
10:30 AM
Today it’s taking me much longer to get ready! Near enough 4 hours! Haha! Why?? Because my family from Italy will not stop talking to me, or asking me how I do make-up!!! Hello!! I only have an hour to go before I need to leave for the venue!! Thank goodness that Mama D is on hand! I’m very close to my mum and I’m not going to lie she’s the one that keeps my head screwed on slightly and controls my craziness….sometimes ? Well here she is making sure my hair stays in one place today and keeping the rest of the family away haha! Getting ready for a concert is always one of my favorite moments. It’s so much fun to play with eyeshadow colors and different hairstyles.
12:00 PM
So, I’ve arrived at the venue to start setting up. Luckily, I have a lot of my friends and family helping me, so pretty sure we can get this ready by 2.30pm. It’s always so amazing to see a venue transformed into a great performance space. This is my favorite place here in Somerset. I have a thing for old barns that are now event spaces and this one really is top! It’s called the Haselbury Mill and as you can see, for my Christmas concert they did me proud. At this point, we start putting up the banners, the piano gets set up, tables get placed and I set up the PA system whilst giving some orders. I’m pretty laidback so let the others get on with it. Because I’ve used this venue before they know what I like ? Time’s ticking….eeek!
2:00 PM
30 minutes until doors open. It’s time to do a quick soundcheck to make sure everything is ok. We have to make sure the piano and voice are balanced so people get the best from us. Mission accomplished, time to disappear and try and make myself look all fancy ?
I’m backstage making myself pretty, very quickly, whilst the venue is filling up nicely. This is the part where I’m supposed to stay there until my guest choir finishes and then come on like “surprise”, but I always hate that. I always like to talk to everyone who comes to my shows, as I think it’s so special and I just want to show my thanks. So, I quickly sneak out for 10 minutes running (well trying to run in a ball gown) saying hello to everyone who’s come. This is where the adrenaline starts running. There’s no better feeling that seeing bums on seats and the buzz of the room filling up. This year we had 142 people there, which is the biggest I’ve had at one of my concerts yet! Wooo!! Up, up and anyway.
2:30
And…I’m starting! My concerts are always usually about 2 hours long with me always performing about 90minutes of music for my guests. My sets always include a real mix of music from famous Operatic Arias, songs from the shows and my own twist on rock and pop music. My favorites to date are the Italian version of ‘Everything I do, I do it for you’ and my version of Abba-‘The Winner Takes it All’. I always like to do something out of the box which surprises my guests. I work with a great pianist, Evelina De Lain, which is fab as it means I can now really think outside the box and do something ‘crazy’.
It’s a wrap! That’s it….we’re finished! We’ve performed, even done an Encore and all the hard work and effort has been worth it! I always hate this moment, because even though I’m tired after a long day, I never want to come off stage. I could carry on and sing all night but I know people need to get home. Now I go and sign my merchandise, have a chat, maybe a cheeky drink and a laugh with everyone and pose for some photos. The part I hate about events hahaha! I really dislike having my photo taken, hence I’m usually pulling funny faces, but mum’s keeping a watchful eye to make sure I’m being serious and not ruining them ?
I’ve packed up the venue, chatted some more, talked business and now it’s time to relax. Having my family and friends around me, is always important, so now I can let my hair down with lots of food and some prosecco. My mum knows I have a weakness for anything sweet, so I can’t believe my eyes, when after lots of amazing Italian food, the table is full with desserts. (and yes, I tried a little of all of them). After the party finishes (quite late) I always take a few minutes to reflect on how unbelievably lucky I am. Not only do I have a great support system around me, who are a lot of fun and can put up with me, but I have amazing fans who travel up and down the UK and even abroad to see me. So, thank you!! Now as I talk to mum, she always says, “Well done babe, proud of you! When’s the next date then?”
She knows me too well. My brain never stops working, even when it’s crying out for sleep! ?
*Many thanks to Dmitry Jemelins for taking the professional photos
Learn more about Teresa at: teresaderoberto.com