Denise Faro is living proof that talent, determination and authenticity can take you far. From her early experiences in Riccardo Cocciante’s Popular Operas to Italian television sets, to the stages of Sanremo, the Viña del Mar Festival, and international theaters, Denise has built a career that combines singing, acting, and dancing. Today, from Los Angeles, she continues to inspire her audiences with heartfelt music and stories about freedom, resilience, and passion.
Denise, how did your passion for music and acting come about? What memories do you have of Riccardo Cocciante’s Popular Operas and what did they teach you artistically? From the very beginning, singing and acting have walked together in your life: how did this dual love intertwine?
Music has always pushed and accompanied me, ever since I was a child. I was very shy and music was my “safe place,” the place where I could travel without fear. That’s why I never abandoned it. As my grandmother used to say, “without music there is no life.” Acting, on the other hand, came almost as a game. In everyday life I was the one who was ashamed to even order a pizza over the phone, but as soon as I had a script in my hand and the lights shone on me I became a different person. That “game” grew with me and, one step at a time, turned into a real career. Riccardo Cocciante’s Romeo and Juliet was a milestone. It taught me discipline, to fight for my dreams and not to let anyone decide what I can or cannot do. I’ll tell you a secret: I almost didn’t get into that cast. The Italian production did not want me; it was the French production that believed in me. At that moment I realized that it was not my value that changed, but simply the fact that I was in the right place at the right time. Singing and acting became the two tracks on which my whole artistic life flows. I have never felt them to be separate: when I sing I am interpreting emotions, and when I act I feel that there is always music accompanying my words. Of course, if I had to see myself forced to choose between the two I would have no doubt: music will always remain my first great love.
You have starred in popular Italian TV series: what roles have stayed in your heart? How does the approach change when you act in front of a camera compared to when you are on a theater stage? In musicals you have combined singing, dancing and acting: which has been the most challenging and why? Is there a theatrical or television role you still dream of playing?
Among the most significant television roles is Giulia in Benvenuti a tavola – Nord vs Sud (first and second seasons), a Mediaset sitcom that allowed me to deal with lively and funny writing, as well as giving me great visibility on the small screen. It was also an opportunity to work alongside very experienced actors, and this was a real lesson for me. My first appearance in Un medico in famiglia in 2004 also remains a very sweet memory, because it represented my television debut: a small role for a little girl who until the day before was watching that series from her bedroom. A simple experience, but one that marked the beginning of a dream. Television requires extremely precise attention to detail: a sigh, a look, everything is captured. On stage, on the other hand, you have to “embrace” the entire audience with gesture, voice and energy. It is a bit like going from whispering a secret in someone’s ear to shouting it out in the middle of a square: the emotion is the same, but the way of communicating it changes. Both languages, however, have taught me how to dose and deliver emotion authentically. All the roles I played were beautiful and challenging, but perhaps the most intense was High School Musical. I wanted it with all my heart and we had to work on it in record time: less than a month of preparation. After just a week of rehearsals we were already on stage in San Remo presenting it. I didn’t even know the names of all my bandmates yet, but there we were, in front of the whole of Italy. It was dear Pippo Baudo who wanted us there, and for me it was the realization of a dream: to be on the Ariston stage right when he was conducting. An emotion that I will always carry with me. One project I keep wanting is an international musical film, where I can combine acting, singing and dancing in a cinematic context. It would be a bit like closing a circle: the dream of the stage turning into a dream on the big screen.
After Italy, you landed in the United States and South America: what prompted you to make this leap? What differences have you noticed between the Italian entertainment world and the one overseas? Is there an international experience that has changed you profoundly, both as an artist and as a person?
My move overseas was not a planned choice, but a chance encounter with fate. I was in Spain with the Italian cast of Il mondo di Patty (Patito Feo): they were supposed to bring only those who spoke Spanish, and I didn’t speak it at all… but in that case I showed off all my acting skills hehehe, lied through my teeth, memorized the script and left anyway. It was during one of those shows in Spanish arenas and stadiums that I was noticed by a talent scout, who offered me an audition. I didn’t realize it was Mexico until I ended up with a one-way plane ticket Rome-Mexico City for the final casting of “La Academia.” That moment I consider it the beginning of my real life. Compared to Italy, abroad I found a more open world, less inclined to box you in. In Latin America in particular I met a unique audience: they follow you if you are authentic, even if you don’t speak the language perfectly. It is an audience that rewards passion and sincerity, that esteems and respects you. It does not look for your flaw, but celebrates with you your virtues. Of all the international experiences, the Viña del Mar Festival in Chile was the one that changed me the most. It is the equivalent of our Eurovision and until the 1980s was twinned with the Sanremo Festival. Getting on that stage in front of thousands of people and millions of viewers on television was a true artistic baptism: there I understood that music is truly a universal language and should be celebrated at every moment. There is no room for envy or unnecessary worry: you need to enjoy it.
Talent shows have given you great visibility: what has been the biggest challenge in that context? What did it teach you about facing such a large television audience?
“La Academia” gave me great visibility, but the biggest challenge was staying myself. Arriving in such a format, in a country you don’t know, with a completely new culture and without speaking the language, was certainly no picnic. But I’ve always liked challenges. I learned to listen to my instincts, to “lift my head” and to respect others without prejudice. Mexico has turned into a second home, a place that is good for me just thinking about it and that, in so many ways, has healed my deepest wounds.
Why did you choose Los Angeles as your base? What is your routine like between set, recording room and personal life? How much has the city and its energy influenced your creativity?
It may sound strange, but I always knew that one day I would come to live in Los Angeles. I think I “decided” on it around the age of ten: there was no specific reason, I simply felt that that city, sooner or later, would become my home. When I finally got there, I didn’t know if I would be able to stay. I landed on a friend of a friend’s couch, with only two thousand dollars in the bank and a lot of desire to try. But this city is really special: everywhere you turn there is someone chasing a dream, and that energy is contagious. So I rolled up my sleeves and did what I do best: fight for what makes me happy. Los Angeles has taught me to believe in myself more, to turn limitations into strengths, and to be inspired by the people and cultures that populate it I don’t really have a routine, because the artistic life is anything but predictable. There are whole weeks that I spend in the studio or on a set, and then days when I simply stay and watch the sea. I need these moments of solitude to find myself and to bring out real emotions, like when I write a song. Sometimes I even go to the airport just to watch people leave: in their expressions and hugs there are endless stories, and that is my greatest source of inspiration. The truth is that life itself is my routine, with its ups and downs, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
How did your friendship with Vasco Rossi come about? What kind of artistic exchanges did you have and what did he pass on to you humanly?
My friendship with Vasco Rossi came about naturally, almost unexpectedly. It is not every day that you meet an artist you have always admired and then find yourself sharing music with him. With Vasco I was lucky enough to experience precious artistic exchanges. I still remember when he told me, “I wrote a song, a song for you.” At that moment I realized how special that bond was: it was not just a musical gift, but a deeply human gesture. What struck me most about him was his authenticity. Vasco is a giant of Italian music, yet with me he was always direct, true, unfiltered. He taught me that true passion never grows old, that one should not be afraid to remain oneself, and that music, if it is sincere, always reaches people’s hearts.
Libera is a song that seems to tell a very personal part of your story: what is the message you want to convey? How are you preparing the Italian tour and what can your fans expect? Will there be theatrical or scenic moments that recall your experiences in musicals?
“Libera e se mi va” is a special song because it comes from a sensitivity that Vasco was able to capture perfectly. He managed to understand how important it is for me to be myself and how the power to make one’s own decisions represents, after all, the greatest freedom. For this reason, every time I sing “Libera e se mi va,” it is not just a song: it is a declaration of independence, a message I bring to those who listen to me. Now I am preparing an international tour, perhaps the first one where the limit will be only the imagination. I see it as a journey: that journey that started in Italian theaters, continued around the world, and now turns into a show without boundaries. It will be the right combination of simplicity and uniqueness, just like the life of someone who calls so many different places “home.” I would like those who come to my concerts to experience the feeling of going through all those places, emotions and stories together with me that have made me the artist I am today.There will be many surprises, but to find out you will have to come and see me.
Where do you see yourself artistically in the next five years? Is there a dream, perhaps film or theater, that you still want to achieve? What advice would you give to a young artist who dreams of combining music, theater and TV?
In the next five years I see myself still traveling with my music, on ever-changing stages but with the same excitement as when I started. I would like to take my art to international projects and to places still “unknown.” And if I have to confess a dream in the drawer…it would be to sing in a duet with Rosé from Blackpink. Her voice and sensitivity inspire me so much and I believe that together we could create something really special. To young artists who dream of combining music, theater and TV, I would say one simple thing: cultivate your uniqueness. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because mistakes are part of the journey. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and above all, never forget why you started: passion is the one true compass that will always guide you, even in the most difficult times.
The article Denise Faro: from Cocciante’s operas to international stages comes from TheNewyorker.
