A multifaceted artist, rebellious spirit, and exceptional organizer: Chris Catena is a rare figure in today’s international music scene. A visionary opera director, refined manager of opera singers, and at the same time an explosive rock frontman, Catena is living proof that seemingly irreconcilable worlds can merge into a single, authentic, and powerful artistic expression.
His connection to opera runs in his blood. The son of the great tenor Renato Francesconi, who passed away on May 11, 2023, Chris was raised in the theater. Francesconi is often remembered as an extraordinary interpreter of Otello, a role in which he conveyed dramatic strength and a powerful vocal presence. He was also one of the tenors most appreciated by the legendary Giacomo Lauri Volpi, who frequently cited him as one of the finest representatives of the Roman school of singing — a tradition rooted in rigorous technique, classical taste, and expressive depth. Catena has inherited this legacy both in his blood and in the aesthetic of his productions.
His operatic stagings are never conventional: whether it’s Madama Butterfly or Traviata, there is always a contemporary subtext, a social reflection, or a visual provocation that stirs emotion and thought. His direction is bold, symbolic, and unafraid to lay bare human fragility and passion through modern, arresting imagery but always respecting the author’s libretto and the tradition.
In recent years, Catena’s personal journey has been shaped by profound sorrow. After the loss of his beloved father, he also endured the passing of his mother Maria Grazia on February 17, 2025, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Two devastating losses in just over a year would crush most people — but Chris found in art the strength to rise again. He turned grief into fue for creativity, making the stage a sacred place to process love, loss, and legacy
That resilience was recognized on April 4, when Catena received the prestigious Maria Callas Award at the Italian Cultural Institute in New York, honoring his innovative contribution to opera in the modern era. A tribute not only to his artistry, but also to his courage, depth, and humanity.
Alongside his classical endeavors, Chris Catena has just produced a powerful and genre-defying album: the new Pop Crossover release by acclaimed soprano Lisa Houben. A project where classical music meets pop and symphonic rock, the album reflects Catena’s artistic DNA. Houben performs stunning duets with Catena himself, as well as with Plácido Domingo Jr., Fabio Armiliato, Armando Pina, Gabriel Mauro, Fabio Serani, and others. It’s a rich, eclectic record, where elegance and theatricality come together with emotional charge and contemporary flair — a testament to Catena’s belief in music without borders.
Meanwhile, Catena’s rock journey continues at full speed with the release of a striking new single: Radio.
Originally written by Ryan Whyte Maloney, a Las Vegas singer-songwriter and finalist on The Voice USA, Radio is an intense and soulful rock ballad, blending country influences with an emotional core. The track was mixed by Brian Vibberts, a seven-time Grammy Award-winning engineer who has worked with titans like Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Beyoncé, and Prince.
With more than two decades in the business, Chris Catena is a respected name in international rock. Known for his powerful voice and stylistic versatility, he has collaborated with an impressive array of artists. His debut album Freak Out (2004) featured legends like Glenn Hughes, Eric Singer, Bruce Kulick, and Jeff Scott Soto. Later collaborations include Doug Aldrich, Stevie Salas, Kee Marcello, Bobby Kimball, Pat Travers, Brian Tichy, and Vitalij Kuprij.
In 2020, Truth in Unity took Catena’s reputation even higher, uniting more than 50 musicians from bands like Whitesnake, Dio, Mr. Big, Toto, Blue Murder, Guns N’ Roses, and Quiet Riot in a fusion of hard rock, blues, funk, and soul.
Today, Chris Catena’s Rock City Tribe features a powerful and stable lineup: Chris Catena on vocals, Marco Fiormonti on bass, Valerio Amoroso on lead and rhythm guitar, Massimo Canfora on lead and rhythm guitar, and Giorgio Gallo on drums. Recent singles include Freight Train, I Will Be With You, Tennessee Moonlight, and A Little Bitty Drunk, all showcasing the group’s stylistic range and growing maturity.
Catena says of Radio:
This ballad was born from a spark. Ryan Whyte Maloney — a brilliant artist gone too soon — was thrilled when I chose to record it, and contributed banjo, rhythm guitar, and backing vocals. The song is a tribute to him and to those magical childhood moments when just one song on the radio was enough to make you dream.
Radio captures the heart of the Chris Catena’s Rock City Tribe ethos: emotionally charged, musically rich, and produced with impeccable precision. It’s more than just a single — it’s a mission statement of unity, passion, and the eternal power of rock.
Watch the official video for Radio here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qj15OCdTRM
The band’s next major appearance will be at the IntenCity Festival in Craiova, Romania, on June 28, 2025 — an event where Catena’s group will stand as the only rock band amid a dazzling lineup of international pop and EDM stars including Paris Hilton, Bebe Rexha, G-Eazy, Foster the People, Tyga, Meduza, Gianluca Vacchi, and Cyril.
Their inclusion is more than a performance — it’s a statement. A bold and visionary decision by the festival’s organizer, it proves that rock can coexist with audiences who love disco, pop, electronic, or Latin music. It’s a celebration of musical diversity and artistic courage — the kind of challenge Catena has built his life around.
As an artist manager, Chris Catena has also built a solid reputation for nurturing emerging talent and guiding mature voices across the global stage. He remains driven by quality, emotional truth, and an unwavering belief in the power of the human voice — in every form it takes.
Chris Catena is not a man divided between genres — he is a whole artist. Complex, passionate, shaped by loss and driven by vision. A devoted son, a fearless creator, and a professional with a thousand faces, all in service of one unshakable calling: to make art a mirror of the soul.
Published by Jeremy S.
