Franco-Armenian singer, flautist and teacher originally from the UK, with a degree in French and Italian Studies from the University of Sussex (UK). For over ten years now she has lived between her native city, Brighton, and her adopted city, Bologna, working in music and education. She begins her studies on the traverse flute at the age of ten, and over the years has studied with teachers including Rachel Smith, Liz Goodwin, obtaining the Advanced Professional Certificate from the Royal College of Music, London in 1998. She has worked as both a classical solo flautist, and also in orchestras, including the Brighton Philharmonic and Sussex Symphony Orchestra. She now dedicates her studies to jazz improvisation with Geoff Warren and Andrea Ferrario. She discovers the wonders of the voice in 2005, and has studied with various teachers including Silvia Testoni, Gloria Giovannini and Rita Cervellati. Throughout her musical studies she has attended numerous workshops both in Italy and in England, on diverse genres and aspects of music, from jazz to modern, and classical singing.

A selection of the seminars and courses include:

- Minimalism with contemporary classical composer Steve Reich, London
- Classical Harmony workshop, Trinity College, London
- Jazz Improvisation Course, London College of Contemporary Music, London
- Voicecraft, Alejandro Saorin Martinez, Conservatorio di Padova
- Jazz singing and improvisation, Rachel Gould, Bologna
- International Jazz Flute Workshop, Geoff Warren, Borrello (Abruzzo)
- Gospel choir singing, Cedric Shannon & High Praise Gospel Singers, Bologna
- Whistle register in singing, Erika Biavati at EVOC, Padova
- Improvisational acting, Compagnia del Teatro dell’Argine, Bologna

She has worked both as a main singer and backing singer in various jazz and modern musical formations, and has performed all over Europe, from the UK and France, to Germany and Italy. Among her many experiences, in 2010 she collaborated as backing singer and flautist for the singer-songwriter Gian Luca Fantelli at the Europauditorium (Bologna) with an audience of over 1300 people. She has also worked as an actress and musician for the theatrical show The Vagina Monologues in 2008 and 2011, and in 2012 becomes one of the lead singers in the show Note Americane which led her to perform on the big stage in theatres such as Teatro Manzoni (Bologna), Teatro Comunale (Vicenza), Teatro del Verme (Milano), and Teatro delle Celebrazioni (Bologna). Currently, Sonia works as a singer, flautist and backing singer, and is working on her first recorded album with the acoustic duo Rotary Finger (www.rotaryfinger.com).

Sonia has taught for over ten years, gaining experience in subjects as varied as languages, theatre, other than, of course, music through singing and traverse flute teaching. She has developed a teaching methodology which combines the variety of her training and interests, taking advantage of being a native English speaker and a trained teacher and combining this with her music teaching, applying the rules of English phonetics in teaching correct English diction in singing. She has held various music and theatre workshops in schools and summer camps and coordinated end of course shows. 

In 2010 she discovers the world of early childhood music education through the American programme Music Together and completes the first level of certification to become a qualified teacher. She currently teachers flute and singing to all levels, and is an active member of the Musicians’ Association of Bologna (www.ambologna.it).

Lastly, Sonia has a passion for photography and since 2009 has worked organizing photographic workshops in both England in Italy (www.soniaterhovanessian.com).

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