Three songs recorded with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra will feature on Denise Mangiardi’s forthcoming ninth album, Apparitions. Recorded in Glasgow, the orchestral sessions form part of a project that draws together her work as a pianist, vocalist, songwriter and arranger. Mangiardi describes the opportunity to record with the orchestra as an extraordinary honour.
The sessions build on an established interest in orchestral composition. Among Mangiardi’s previous works is Songs of the Rainforest, dedicated to Ayrton Senna and commissioned by Orchestra Toronto. The composition featured during the orchestra’s 2013 Diamond Jubilee performance. Her studies have also encompassed composition at Trinity Laban in London and film scoring in Sofia, Bulgaria, alongside her earlier training at Berklee College of Music.
Her previous album, On The Brink, received praise from All About Jazz for its combination of classical influences, jazz improvisation and expansive orchestral arrangements. With Apparitions, Mangiardi again draws on her experience across these musical fields, this time working with London-based producer and composer Chris Hyson. Their co-production partnership has brought a fresh perspective to the arrangements that underpin the new release.
Due in November 2026 and led by the single “Thursday’s Child,” Apparitions is described by Mangiardi as a culmination of her career-long musical development. Its orchestral contributions sit within a broader return to storytelling, connecting her experience of large-scale composition with the songwriting she began presenting publicly as a teenager.