Nicole Thalìa, born Nicole Di Gioacchino in Rome, Italy, is a London-based R&B singer-songwriter and vocalist. Her musical journey began at the tender age of four, and by twelve, she was performing professionally. In 2012, Nicole relocated to London to further her music career. She serves as the lead vocalist for Grammy-nominated drum and bass DJ High Contrast and is a member of The Kingdom Choir. Notably, in 2018, she performed with The Kingdom Choir for an audience of 2 billion at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. In 2019, she toured the UK and the US, with a standout moment being her performance at the Hollywood Bowl, where she shared the stage with the legendary Gladys Knight. Additionally, Nicole sang a Lullaby for baby Archie Mountbatten-Windsor live on BBC and participated in a live session at The Sun.
Nicole's talents have brought her to prominent platforms in the UK, Italy, and the US, including appearances on X Factor Italy and the Steve Harvey Show, as well as Access Hollywood in Los Angeles with host Mario Lopez. She is recognized as a highly skilled coloratura soprano with a vocal range of nearly four octaves, showcasing her abilities across various genres with her unique, soulful tone and distinctive vibrato. Her contributions to the soundtrack of the film Rocketman, which depicts the life of Elton John, further highlight her artistry.
Throughout her career, Nicole has collaborated with a wide array of artists, including Paloma Faith, Diversity, Demi Lovato, The Who, Tom Jones, Take That, and Geri Halliwell. As a singer-songwriter, she has released several singles over the past two years, including “Take Me Away,” featuring producers ELVNS. Most recently, she united 13 artists to record her single “Give Thanks,” released on Christmas 2019, with all proceeds directed to charitable efforts supporting the Amazon Rainforest and its indigenous populations affected by ongoing fires. She is set to release her new single “IF ONLY” on April 17, 2020, followed by an EP later in the year.
Born in 1992, Nicole's passion for music was nurtured by her parents from an early age. While her peers listened to the radio, she found inspiration in the records of Led Zeppelin and Frank Sinatra. At six, she began opera singing lessons and was selected to duet with the Italian band Pooh. As her family traveled frequently, she grew up in diverse and musically rich environments. Although she received a scholarship to the prestigious Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, she chose to pursue a different musical path. At twelve, Nicole attended Cinecittà Campus and was mentored by notable figures in the Italian entertainment industry, including Maria Grazia Fontana, under whom she trained for eight years.
At fourteen, Nicole began working on her first original single with renowned Italian singer and producer Teddy Reno and joined the gospel choir SAT&B. Despite her young age, her exceptional talent quickly caught the attention of the music scene. She attended Saint Louis College of Music in Rome and secured the lead female role in the musical “’68 Italian Rock,” performing in Rome’s major theatres for nearly two years, all while still in high school and performing with various bands across Italy. Major Italian newspapers such as “Il Messaggero” and “Il Corriere della Sera” praised her as “a young, eclectic talent.” By 2006 and 2011, her name had gained recognition, leading her to serve as a backing vocalist for Italian singer Giorgia and American rapper Coolio, as well as performing on national Italian television shows like Domenica In and Big Brother Italian Edition. She was also the youngest soprano selected for the Promessi Sposi production, which had a preview in Milan’s Dome and was broadcast nationally on TG3.
In 2010, Nicole became one of six finalists in the Judges Houses segment of X-Factor Italy. The following year, she participated in Rock City, receiving valuable feedback from Leon Hendrix, brother of Jimi Hendrix. Between 2010 and 2012, she collaborated with M° Luca Ruggero Jacovella and renowned trumpeter and film score composer Cicci Santucci, performing at some of Rome's finest jazz venues.
In late 2012, Nicole made the decision to move to London to pursue her dreams further and joined the Urban Voices Collective, known for their role in the 2012 Olympic Games Choir. Her extensive performance and collaboration history includes artists such as Paloma Faith (BBC Proms 2014, BBC Awards), Sigma, Labrinth (TV BAFTAS 2015), Lionel Richie, Gary Barlow (Royal Variety Performance 2013), The Who (US Broadcast), Rita Ora, Sir Tim Rice, producer David Arnold, Coldplay, Diversity (Got To Dance, Invictus Games, Up Close And Personal Tour 2015), Tom Jones, Alfie Boe (VE Day 70), Geri Halliwell, and many more.
