LA Weekly
Anna Azerli Returns to the Hollywood Christmas Parade as New Music Nears
[as originally published on laweekly.com]
For an artist whose career has crossed continents, genres, and some of the world’s most demanding stages, the holiday season has become an unexpectedly steady home for Anna Azerli. The internationally recognized vocalist, followed by more than eight million people across social platforms, returned to the Hollywood Christmas Parade this year, marking another appearance in a setting that has quietly shaped her American chapter.
Azerli’s association with the parade began soon after she relocated to Hollywood, a move that signaled her interest in building a career beyond traditional opera. Over time, her performances there became something of a through line. This season, she performed “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” a classic she approaches with a blend of clarity and control that is perfectly suited for the occasion.
Her appearance aligns with the upcoming release of a new Christmas EP, a project that blends familiar carols with her own stylistic footprint. Though classically trained, Azerli has never treated genre as a fixed identity. The EP reflects the hybrid approach she has embraced in recent years, expanding her work in pop while continuing to carry the depth and discipline of her operatic background.
Azerli made her operatic debut at Teatro alla Scala at nineteen, performing Leonora in Verdi’s La forza del destino. That early success led to an international career that included engagements at Opéra National de Paris (Palais Garnier), Teatro La Fenice, Arena di Verona, Semperoper Dresden, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, among others. She also performed in a special concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, presenting Verdi’s La forza del destino in a concert version that marked her American debut.
Azerli toured with the Strauss Festival Orchestra Vienna, appeared at major European festivals, and worked under conductors such as Riccardo Muti, James Levine, and Claudio Abbado. And she has shared the stage with Luciano Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo — moments that underscored her place among leading voices in the field.
Her résumé includes more than 200 performances of La forza del destino, a role that became one of her signatures, and appearances before high-profile audiences including members of the British, French, and Monegasque royal families.
That flexibility eventually opened the door to her pop crossover work, including L’Indomani, an Italian pop-classical single that earned national attention. The shift broadened her audience dramatically, particularly online, where her following grew into the millions and began shaping opportunities in the United States and abroad.
When asked about what drives her beyond the stage, Azerli said that she loves singing for people and using her voice for good, as it remains one of her deepest motivations. Over the years, she has supported many charitable initiatives, including programs that help children, such as Toys for Tots, as well as other charities that support families in need. She describes these efforts as an essential part of her life — a way to bring light, hope, and connection to those who need it most.
As the holiday season arrives, Azerli views this chapter as a natural continuation of her evolving work. Her upcoming projects extend beyond the EP, with new material planned for international release in the new year. But for now, the season remains her focus, an anchor-point in a career defined by movement.