Diandra Russo wears many hats as a musician, music therapist, educator, director, researcher and writer. Born in 1988 to a family of Sicilian origin, she grew up in Aarau, Switzerland. Her studies eventually took her to the USA where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Alverno College in Milwaukee. Her professional career began at River Oaks Psychiatric Hospital in New Orleans, where she obtained her American Licence as a Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC), followed by a Master of Advanced Studies in Clinical Music Therapy at the Zurich University of the Arts. She has experience in paediatrics, geriatrics, child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry. For several years she headed the music therapy department of a psychosomatic hospital in Switzerland. As a saxophonist, she performs with various bands in the funk, soul and pop genres and also collaborates with other artists in crossover projects. Her musical language was inspired by some of her teachers and mentors such as Rafael Baier, Mark Gross, Buster Williams, Randy Brecker and Tia Fuller. Since August 2021 she is co-director and lecturer in the music therapy programme at the Zurich University of the Arts.