Salzburg’s vocal wonder: Laura Zotti

Laura Zotti and her biographie

Music has always been a constant companion in the life of Laura Zotti. This young singer grew up in Henndorf and moved to the city of Salzburg as a young girl. At the age of 10, her brother brought her out onto the stage with him for the first time. While she attended the music magnet school here, she sang in the choir. Today, Laura Zotti is 19 years old and generally regarded as one of the music scene’s most exceptional young talents. That has a lot to do with the extraordinary timbre of her voice. Jazz, Soul or Funk – it is really difficult to pinpoint any one specific style of this young singer. As she herself readily admits: “Much of my music revolves around very personal things and that’s something I generally associate with Soul music. I grew up with Jazz – and the people I perform with are members of the band Funkexpress, which explains why we also get into a whole bunch of Funk.” So many musical directions, so many choices.

Salzburg’s Music Bars

Laura Zotti’s gigs also provide us with a fascinating insight into Salzburg’s colorful music scene. The vocalist and her band frequently perform at “MARK. freizeit.kultur” and the Rockhouse, where, incidentally, they took part in the “Local Heroes” band contest and won it in 2016. Laura Zotti and her musical colleagues have also been known to jam together at the “Jazzit”, one of the hottest jazz clubs in town. The young singer values the intimate atmosphere of that particular location. “If you play in a jam session or bar, you’re generally background music and you don’t have much of a concert atmosphere. Even so, with our Soul and Funk we manage to draw quite a bit of attention. You are actually able to build good vibes with people in the audience and tell them stories through your music.” Which was recently the case at the “PlanB” music café. At this point, Laura Zotti can barely control her enthusiasm: “PlanB is a small music bar where the people really listen and it’s almost like being in a small theater.” At bigger concerts such as “Live in the Park”, which took place in the Volksgarten in 2019, Laura Zotti is fascinated by the larger scale of the event. “It’s all very open and you have to be louder”, the singer explains excitedly. “I love concerts like that, especially at night”, she laughs, “when it gets dark. Live im Park was a real thrill, totally cool.” She adds with a mischievous smile: “I’m not so sure I actually got to see any stars, but the atmosphere was simply amazing.”

All roads lead to… Salzburg

Now, music has taken Laura Zotti to Vienna – which is where she studies. But that doesn’t detract at all from her love of the music scene here in Salzburg, the city to which she returns time and again in order to jam and put on concerts. Needless to say, scouring the programs of Salzburg’s local music venues always pays off. So, what’s it like trying to establish yourself in Salzburg’s music scene? According to Laura Zotti, it’s not that hard. “If you perform regularly, the people quickly recognize you.” From local hero to national star? Well, without a doubt Laura Zotti definitely has the right stuff.

• Laura Zotti Music - Facebook
• Laura Zotti im Porgy & Bess