A new creative partnership is central to Denise Mangiardi’s forthcoming album, Apparitions. Co-produced with London-based producer and composer Chris Hyson, the record brings a fresh production perspective to the pianist and vocalist’s established approach to songwriting and arrangement.
Scheduled for release in November 2026, Apparitions is Mangiardi’s ninth album and features “Thursday’s Child” as its lead single. She describes the project as a culmination of her musical development, combining storytelling with the piano, orchestration and arranging skills she has cultivated throughout her career.
Hyson’s contribution has helped take Mangiardi’s arrangements in a new creative direction. Alongside that collaboration, the album includes three songs recorded with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow. These sessions bring an orchestral element to a project that draws on her experience across several musical disciplines.
Mangiardi’s previous album, On The Brink, received praise from All About Jazz for its blend of classical influences, jazz improvisation and expansive orchestral arrangements. Her work has also earned recognition from Chick Corea, who praised her “Beautiful and creative arrangements and renditions”, and producer Al Schmitt, who described her as “a remarkable talent”.
Beyond her own recordings, Mangiardi runs Alices Loft Music, a recording studio based between London and the Isle of Wight. Her experience in production and arrangement provides another dimension to the Hyson partnership, making Apparitions a meeting between an established creative practice and a new collaborator’s perspective.