BIO - ONE LINER
Montréal jazz vocalist Isabella Hallia, who opened for Madeleine Peyroux at the Montréal International Jazz Festival, releases her debut album, A Formal Introduction, in October 2026.
BIO - SHORT (100 WORDS)
Isabella Hallia is a Montréal-based jazz vocalist whose lyrical voice and warm, resonant tone bring fresh sensitivity to the timeless sound of traditional vocal jazz. A graduate of McGill University in Jazz Performance, she performed at Carnegie Hall at seventeen after receiving the Jury’s Favorite Award at the American Protégé International Competition. In 2025 she toured Quebec and Ontario with her trio, playing six major jazz festivals and opening for Madeleine Peyroux at the 45th Montréal International Jazz Festival. Her debut album, A Formal Introduction, pairs three original compositions with five of her own arrangements of jazz standards and released in October 2026.
BIO - LONG (320 WORDS)
Isabella Hallia is a Montréal-based jazz vocalist whose lyrical voice and warm, resonant tone bring fresh sensitivity to the timeless sound of traditional vocal jazz. Inspired by Anita O’Day, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, and Mel Tormé, she performs original compositions written in the tradition of the Great American Songbook alongside standards she has reinterpreted and arranged herself.
Her path began early. At seventeen she received the Jury’s Favorite Award at the American Protégé International Competition, which took her to the stage of Carnegie Hall. She went on to earn a degree in Jazz Performance from McGill University. In 2024 she produced a three-track live demo with support from a FACTOR Professional Development grant, and she has headlined Upstairs, Montreal’s landmark jazz club.
In 2025 Isabella toured Quebec and Ontario with her trio, performing at six major jazz festivals. The highlight was opening for Madeleine Peyroux at the 45th Montréal International Jazz Festival.
Her debut album, Isabella Hallia: A Formal Introduction, released October 2026. It was recorded at Studio Piccolo in March 2026 with her trio: Anthony D’Alessandro on piano, Mathieu McConnell on upright bass, and Baptiste Lejeune on drums. The album combines three original compositions with five arrangements of jazz standards. Isabella describes this project as a musical self-portrait. It reveals a more intimate side of her artistry and was the centerpiece of her latest tour in Europe and Canada.
PRESS PHOTOS
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ALBUM
A Formal Introduction is a musical portrait of Isabella Hallia, covering themes relating to her fears, her joys, and how she views the world. The album includes a mix of original compositions in the style of the Great American Songbook as well as self-arranged reinterpretations of lesser heard jazz standards. She is accompanied by Juno-nominated Anthony D’alessandro on piano, Mathieu McConnell-Enright on bass and Baptiste Lejeune on drums.
With her strong interest towards mental health and her curiosity to the many forms of love that are prevalent today, Isabella blends these messages with her personal take on the familiar sounds of swing and jazz.
Voice: Isabella Hallia
Piano: Anthony D’Alessandro
Bass: Mathieu McConnell-Enright
Drums: Baptiste Lejeune
Track list:
1. A Formal Introduction (music and lyrics by Isabella Hallia, 2026)
2. Sophisticated Lady (music by Duke Ellington, lyrics by Mitchell Parish & Irving Mills, 1932)
3. Loads of Love (music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers, 1962)
4. Turning the Page (music and lyrics by Isabella Hallia, 2024)
5. Comes Love / L’amour s’en fout (music by Sam H. Stept, lyrics by Lew Brown & Charles Tobias, 1939, French lyrics by Elizabeth Bougerol)
6. Sometimes I’m Happy (music by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Irving Caesar and Clifford Grey, 1923)
7. Love You More (music and lyrics by Isabella Hallia, 2021)
8. I’m Glad There is You (music by Jimmy Dorsey, lyrics by Paul Madeira, 1941)
Credits:
Composition for tracks 1, 4 and 7: Isabella Hallia
Arrangements: Isabella Hallia
Recorded at: Studios Piccolo, Studio A March 22nd and 23rd, 2026
Executive Producer: Isabella Hallia
Co-producer: Santiago Garcia Cuevas & Camille Thurman
Lead Engineer: Santiago Garcia Cuevas
Assistant Engineer: Vincent F. Bilodeau
Mixing: Santiago Garcia Cuevas
Mastering: Camilo Amaya Martinez
Album and singles cover photos: Eva Zarucki
CD and vinyl design: Eva Zarucki
Photoshoot location: Modavie
Videography for singles/Photography: Naomi SV
Videography for singles: Vjosana Shkurti
Song credits:
Track 2 written by Duke Ellington, lyrics by Mitchell Parish and Irving Mills (Emi Mills Music Inc., 1932)
Track 3 written by Richard Rodgers (Concord Music, 1962)
Track 5 written by Sam H. Stept, lyrics by Lew Brown and Charles Tobias (Redwood Music Ltd. and Warner Bros., 1939) French lyrics by Elizabeth Bougerol (EGM Bougerol Music, 2016)
Track 6 written by Vincent Youmans, lyrics by Irving Caesar (Redwood Music Ltd., WC. Music Corp. and Irving Caesar Music Corp., 1923)
Track 8 written by Jimmy Dorsey, lyrics by Paul Madeira Mertz (MPL Communications, 1941)
AUDIO TRACKS AND LIVE VIDEOS
