“It’s that warm and fuzzy feeling that you only get when you’re at home decorating the tree with your family and listening to that music…and I’m really happy to be a part of that for a lot of different people.”
Those were the words of Vanessa Campagna, the singer-songwriter from Beaver County who is returning home for a nine-show stint with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall. The first show will be on December 10 at 7:00 PM, and she spoke to A.M. Beaver County’s Matt Drzik about the upcoming series of shows, which will be conducted by world-renowned trumpeter/singer Byron Stripling.
Campagna’s resume has grown over her lifelong career in music, having won multiple Grammy Awards and even an Academy Award in 2013. She’s had success in multiple musical arenas, including Contemporary Christian, Dance Pop, and Country just to name a few. Vanessa attributes that diversity to her love for the different music that she was raised on combined with the sounds that she’s discovered from places ranging from Nashville to Norway.
“Really big melodies have always been my thing,” Campagna said during the interview. “I hear them in my head all the time. So when I started writing, it seemed that my songs ended up just getting placed over there in Europe…and those were the people who kind of gravitated towards it.”
It’s no surprise then, that the upcoming shows for Vanessa with the PSO–featuring one “really big” Christmas melody after another–provides a welcoming backdrop for her performances. “There really is something special about coming home and doing shows. The energy is so much fun, and I just feel comfortable. I just feel at ease. I love these shows.”
Not only is Vanessa singing the classics with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for the holiday season, but she has a new single, “Diamond For Christmas”, which premiered on Beaver County Radio on December 10 in prelude to the PSO shows. You can listen to a preview of “Diamond For Christmas” by clicking here.
To hear the full interview with Vanessa, click on the player below!