Press
โAn undoubted talentโ ~ Sir George Martin
โNostalgic musicality with a gritty edge, sophisticated and innovativeโ ~ Get In Her Ears
โDarkly alluring, chic sonic blissโ ~ Fame Magazine
โGrandiose and majesticโ ~ Conversations About Her
โBow down to Calista Kazuko whose theatrical flair gives her powerโ ~ Earmilk
โa bold and immersive sound of her ownโ - Songwriting Magazine
"โฆa visionary, innovative artist who makes an incredible strand of alternative pop.โ ~ Charlie Ashcroft, Amazing Radio
(For Fury & Elysium)
'A bold, revolutionary, and fearless piece of theatre' ~ West End Best Friend โฉโฉโฉโฉ
'A great new musical with a bright future' ~ All That Dazzles โฉโฉโฉโฉ
'The music feels fresh and relevant' ~ Broadway World
โ[one of] the best UK theatre [shows] to see in June 2023โ ~ Attitude Magazine
Bio
A singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for cinematic genre-bending and controversial boundary-pushing, Calista studied classical/jazz piano and composition at Londonโs Royal Academy of Music, and has since been performing and winning fans across the world with her dynamic voice and captivating songs.
With shows from Wembley Arena to Live from Maida Vale for the BBC, Calistaโs music has opened Stella McCartney runway shows and graced programmes on Channel 4, E4 and ITV. Sheโs enjoyed top 5 chart success and major radio station play-listing (BBC, Capital). Recent releases have seen features on popular playlists such as Spotifyโs โNew Music Fridayโ.
A passionate advocate for using her art as a platform for change, Calista founded charity-based arts collective Voice of Aiko and heads the ongoing โUchiโ project in collaboration with Migrant Help. She led music making project โNotes from the Frontlineโ, creating an album of songs with NHS staff in response to the pandemic.
Her stunning concept album โEmpressโ continued to modify the norms of modern songwriting, working alongside some of the UKโs leading charities to challenge complex themes while never losing its sense of fun.
Whilst dedicating time to becoming a Mother, Calista wrote her debut piece of music-theatre alongside playwright Stephanie Martin. โFury and Elysiumโ premiered at The Other Palace in June 2023. She is now writing a brand new show with Kate Marlais which is currently in development.