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Not many graduates of the Juilliard School of Music have won Peabody awards or Emmys, but opera singer/investigative reporter/jazz songbird Charleston has all three on her resume. Starting in Juilliard’s Drama Department at age 16, she was accepted into their Voice Department two years later, eventually earning a B.M. and M.M. in music. Her (by now) trademark poise, presence and determination got her immediate work in the opera world.

Not satisfied with opera as a career path, she enrolled in New York University’s School of Journalism. Before she even graduated, her prowess at investigative reporting was noticed by none other than ABC News. She was hired immediately and started working next to Diane Sawyer on “Primetime Live,” a job she would hold for six years.

Rondi remembers, “Don’t ask me how I found the time, but I kept singing. One night in 1996 at a gig in the Village, Diane came to see me. After the set, she said ‘Rondi, I came because I like you, and I like working with you, but you never told me you were really good. You could do this.’”

Charleston’s love of music and passion for telling a story complement each other in her jazz singing. With her unique phrasing she is able to pull new meaning out of old lyrics, to find overlooked elements of songs. Now back to music full time, and starting to write her own material, Rondi is feeling at home with this most recent career choice.

“That rare combination of native talent and keen perception has made Rondi Charleston a commanding vocal stylist and a spellbinding storyteller,” -Bob Blumenthal