Fredo Viola’s music could be described in a number of ways — delicate, ethereal, soothing, even otherworldly — but “staid” will never make the list. The vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist is quickly becoming known not only for his haunting voice, but also for his willingness to play with and explore sounds in much the same way a visual artist works with color and texture.

Born in Europe, Viola and his family moved between England and Rome before settling in the United States. Though he performed music as a child, Viola attended the Tisch School of the Arts and started his professional career as a video editor and animator after studying to be a film director. His experience in these disciplines continues to inform his music not only through his layered sounds and vivid lyrics, but also through the music videos he produces to accompany his pieces. Though his most famous work to date is “The Sad Song” (which attracted the attention of everyone from Massive Attack to fantasy author Neil Gaiman), all of Viola’s music is notable for both its intricacies and whimsy. The Sad Song EP was released on the French label Because Music in February, but if his MySpace page is any indication, he’s far from finished with his musical aspirations. Head there to hear more, or click here to see (and hear) his music video for “Silent Night”.