Jonathan Cilia Faro

Jonathan Cilia Faro (born November 15, 1981) is an Italian-American opera singer, recording artist, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He has collaborated with international artists, including Sergio Cammariere, Alan Parsons, Tom Brooks, Michael W. Smith, Sandi Patty,[33] Annalisa Minetti, Marc Martel, Mari Burelle, and Vanessa Campagna.

Early life

Jonathan was born in Sicily and raised in Italy and Montreal, Canada, in a Catholic environment. He started singing at the age of 9 in a choir A nun saw his potential and trained him until he started training professionally. At 16, he met Tom Brooks that meeting changed Jonathan's life and initiated him into the Christian music industry.

Jonathan developed an interest in opera when he heard a record of La Boheme sung by Luciano Pavarotti. He began to learn the art of opera from Gianna Buniato and Nicola Martinucci. Jonathan was the youngest tenor to audition and join the Polyphonic Pentagram Choir directed by Mo. Peppe Arezzo. Two years later, he began his career as a solo artist, at the age of 16.

After leaving school, Jonathan enrolled in the Italian army to sustain himself financially. But he was placed in the army kitchen; washing pots, instead of the cockpit, which diminished his hopes of becoming a member of the Air Force. Working with bugs and rats, he found solace in singing. One day, his army general heard him singing from the kitchen and immediately promoted him to represent the army at national ceremonies. Cilia Faro quickly rose to play the role of a sniper in the army. Returning from the war, Jonathan was then faced with another battle to fight – cancer. Now squared up by a life-threatening bout of illness, treatment resulted in Jonathan losing his voice and therefore losing hope that he would ever sing again. But, the story doesn’t end here.

Cilia Faro moved to Cleveland Ohio in 2015 in an attempt to write and produce music and tour in the United States.

Career

Starting his solo career at 16, Jonathan moved to Milan to record his first album, Always Close to Me which sold more than 100,000 copies. In 2001, he recorded his second album, Rebirth which was a reflection on the traumatic experiences of his life, which sold 500.000 copy with a successful single title CROCE/ CROSS/ CROIX. The same year, he began a worldwide gospel tour, which led him to his third album Symphony for Heaven. These achievements led to Faro’s involvement with various philanthropic causes which support education worldwide. His next two albums, When Inspiration Becomes Music and From the Darkness to the Light, were recorded in Canada.

Jonathan then returned to Italy and produced Part of Me, giving more time to writing and arranging music, which led him to produce two more albums, If There is Life, There Is Magic and A Plan That I’m Going, followed by a tour of Canada and the U.S.

In February 2022, Jonathan released a single, Sing Again, with Michael W. Smith.

His first duet, Too Much Love Will Kill You, with Marc Martel, was released in May 2021. This duet led Jonathan and Marc Martel to produce the EP Forte 2021.

In July 2020, he released his single Giramondo.

In 2019, he released an opera cross-over album, From Now On. In November of the same year, he released his song Grown-Up Christmas List, produced by Alana Parsons and Tom Brooks.

Jonathan has been featured on shows including Better Connecticut Lifestyle Magazine TV, Good Morning SAN DIEGO, Sky News UK, Costume e società, RAI2 with ALAN PARSONS project, and ASKA NEWS.

Jonathan was the first Italian Immigrant to ever open for an Indian baseball game.

He is the only artist to ever perform and produce a single with Donny Most from the Happy Days TV series.

In 2021, Jonathan shot his first short film, The Mask of Love, which has been awarded 13 times in 13 different nations and movie film festivals.

Jonathan has also served as a missionary.

Ongoing projects Jonathan is currently involved in several international production projects. His latest release is an EP of five songs with Marc Martel, titled Forte. He is working on several other releases, most notably a song in both English and Italian with Michael W. Smith and Italian versions of hits by artists such as Jelly Roll. His upcoming release will be Opera 11 Live, a collection of 11 of the most beloved Opera arias. Jonathan has signed an opera recording contract with Stradivari Classic and Hindsight Records, Inc.

He is set to perform at the Joyce Mayer Women Conference and will be a special guest at 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade from Philadelphia, NBC Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade NYC.

In 2023, Jonathan will release a new single of a movie soundtrack composed with Jed Lieber's heritage of Jerry Leiber and Stoller's legacy.

Philanthropy

Jonathan has been involved in several charitable projects since 2000. He actively collaborates with charitable organizations like The Free Masons, Knight Templars, Child Fund, Music Movement, Make a Wish Foundation, and St. Jude. He began his charitable work in India, helping to raise money with the aim of building two elementary schools, this was achieved after the conclusion of a European Opera concert tour, with all proceeds going towards this project. He performed on many occasions to raise funds to purchase a school building in Pakistan.

Jonathan has received multiple awards, the latest being at the Mauritian International Academy, canonized by the Vatican, delivered by Cardinal F. Monterisi and Cardinale Claudio Maria Celli the Dean Duke Fabrizio Mechi di Pontassieve. In October 2021, he was nominated Cavalier of the Knight Templar of Jerusalem. He collaborated with an Italian charity called Italian Bridge with Madagascar to build a college in Madagascar.

Just ahead of the release of From Now On, Jonathan was invited to perform at a gala event to support the ecumenical and humanitarian efforts of the Cardinal Angelo Sodano Holy Land Foundation, under the patronage of His Eminence, Angelo Cardinal Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals.

Personal life

Jonathan lives with his second wife and manager, Polly Veronica Cilia. They met in 2016 and married in 2018. Jonathan resides in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a cook, has made wine, survived cancer, abandonment, and betrayal, and has lived many lives in many places.

Jonathan was married to Antonella Gerardo from 2003 - 2015. Their first child, Jonathan Junior, was born on August 18, 2006, and their second child, Julie Emilie, was born on February 17, 2009. The couple separated in 2015.