By: Plugstar Entertainment
For more than a generation, award-winning singer and PBS-TV host Cristina Fontanelli has brought opera, classical Italian music, and multicultural artistry to audiences around the world. Her career reads like a mosaic of global stages and unforgettable performances, from Lincoln Center to the Kennedy Center, from the Hong Kong Opera to Cairo, and from television screens across America to her own philanthropic stages that uplift children and preserve beloved musical traditions.
With the ability to sing in nine languages, Fontanelli has mastered the rare gift of bridging cultures while remaining deeply rooted in authenticity. Known for her warmth and charisma, she has appeared on PBS-TV hosting major national broadcasts, including Andrea Bocelli’s legendary Central Park concert featuring Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, and David Foster. Her voice has graced CBS, Bloomberg Radio, WOR’s Joe Piscopo Show, and Sirius Satellite Radio. Her onscreen talents even extend to film — her performance in SANTINO earned her Best Actress awards at both the Cutting Room International Film Festival and the Venus International Film Festival.
Beyond the spotlight, Cristina’s purpose is loud and clear: to preserve great music and empower future generations. Her 501(c)(3) organization, The Cristina Fontanelli Foundation, is the force behind her acclaimed holiday production, Christmas in Italy®, now in its 22nd year. This year’s event takes place on Friday, December 19, at 7:00 PM, and on Saturday, December 20, at 2:00 PM, at St. Jean Baptiste Church on Lexington Avenue. The beloved concert blends Italian holiday classics, Broadway-worthy showmanship, and the heart of community, complete with guest artists, choirs, dancers, mandolins, and more.
For hundreds of children, Cristina’s concerts have been life-changing opportunities to appear on world-class stages, including Carnegie Hall. “Music is healing, especially for young people,” she says. “They’re not exposed to enough of it. My goal is to change that.”
Her dedication has earned her a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Order Sons of Italy in America, placing her alongside icons such as Luciano Pavarotti. She has performed at the White House under President Clinton and opened the Stars and Stripes Inaugural Ball for President George W. Bush. She has serenaded legends, including Mickey Rooney at his 90th birthday celebration, and even shared the stage with Tony Bennett.
But perhaps Cristina’s most defining trait is her ability to communicate. While many opera singers rely solely on technique, Fontanelli is known for storytelling, humor, and improvisation. Whether performing for high-rollers in Atlantic City or opening for comedian Tim Dillon at Carnegie Hall, she can read any room and win it over. “I thought they had turned on an applause sign behind me,” she recalls with a laugh. “Then I realized, they were clapping for me!”
Raised with strong values and trained at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, after acting school, Cristina chose to pursue opera to fully use the gifts and talents she was given, including her world-class vocal talent.
Her inspirations remain deeply human. Cristina lives by two guiding principles: her own mantra, “Hold onto your dreams tenaciously though they be but a whisper on the breeze,” and Winston Churchill’s iconic reminder: “Never, never, never give up.”
Looking ahead, Cristina sees the next five years as a time of expansion, more concerts, more children supported, and more opportunities to bring healing through music. She hopes to perform in uplifting films and television projects, continuing to use her voice for purpose as much as performance.
Above all, she hopes this story reminds readers that art matters. Service matters. And when passion is paired with purpose, communities transform.
To learn more, support the foundation, or attend Christmas in Italy, visit CristinaFontanelli.com or TheCristinaFontanelliFoundation.org.
