Yeliana lives in Los Angeles, California, collaborates with renowned American musicians and lyricists Lisa-Catherine Cohen («Now»), double-platinum songwriter Harriet Shock («Creation»), Phil Cohen («Whirl»), and releases new singles in the styles of New Age, pop, indie, and jazz.
Even just listing the creative milestones of our heroine makes it clear what a vibrant personality she is.
Yeliana Nikolskaya was born in Ukraine, in the seaside city of Odessa, received her higher musical education at the Odessa Music School, Odessa State Conservatory, and also studied at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, specializing in «Choral Conducting,» «Classical and Jazz Vocal.»
Yeliana has a considerable stage experience, including performances with the vocal jazz quartet «Stress-Control,» which belonged to the Odessa Philharmonic, work as a musical director, conductor, composer, singer, as well as participation in various concert programs in the USA.
Yeliana has a wide range of styles, her diverse repertoire includes jazz, pop, Broadway, classical, and modern vocal styles. In addition to her stage career, she is a member of the American Society of Composers and Poets and has been a voting member of the American Grammy Academy.
Yeliana Nikolskaya also performed as an opera singer at the International Chamber Music Festival in Beverly Hills in 2005. In 2006, she released her debut album «Formula of Love» and shot the touching music video «You and Me». Four years later, in 2010, her second album «Nobody But You» was released. The third album «A Few Lives Ago…» in the style of Brazilian bossa nova was recorded and released in 2014.
Yeliana lives in Los Angeles, California, collaborates with renowned American musicians and lyricists Lisa-Catherine Cohen («Now»), double-platinum songwriter Harriet Shock («Creation»), Phil Cohen («Whirl»), and releases new singles in the styles of New Age, pop, indie, and jazz.
You are from Odessa, a city known for its humor, lively music, and the delightful Black Sea coast. It must have influenced your destiny and choice of creative path, right?
Yes, indeed, Odessa is known for its colorful humor, energetic music, and beautiful Black Sea coast. I’m sure it had a certain influence on my development as a creative individual. I received two higher educations – one in music, the other in medicine (here, in the USA).
My medical career has been successful, but I’ve always maintained a close connection to music – my first love. My passionate desire to write songs and perform on stage has never waned. I’m very glad that I was able to find harmony between my medical profession and my creativity.
You are a composer, but also a talented singer. What does music mean to you?
It’s an integral part of my life. It can express emotions that are sometimes difficult to convey in words. Music has the power to bring people together and create special moments that stay in memory for a lifetime. For me, music is a way to express my feelings and thoughts. Like medicine, musical art can heal and create emotional balance.
Yeliana, your songs are very lyrical, filled with tenderness. Do you talk about your own feelings and experiences in them?
You’re right, I write songs with tenderness and love. Sometimes it’s my personal story, sometimes I’m inspired by the stories of others’ lives. But each listener and viewer find something of their own in the song.
And that’s the magic of music, and Love is its important component. And this is the main theme of my works, as love has the power to change life and leave an unforgettable mark in the heart.
I know your favorite maestro is the famous pianist Sergey Chipenko. Do you have joint projects?
Yes, we closely work with the famous jazz pianist, orchestra leader, arranger, and award-winning composer Sergey Chipenko. He is unique as a person and as a musician, mastering both modern jazz and classical genres. Sergey has collaborated with legends of world jazz, performed at numerous international jazz music festivals. Right now, we are preparing a romantic jazz program together, which we will soon present to the audience live.
You have two wonderful children. Has anyone followed in your footsteps?
My son, Theo, has been inspired by music since childhood and followed in my footsteps. He writes music and is passionate about arranging. His talent has been noticed and appreciated in the music industry. Theo has collaborated with renowned musicians such as John Legend, Stevie Wonder. Their collaboration has been successful and has earned recognition in the Grammy Academy music community. Theo was part of the team that worked on creating two albums for John Legend, one of which received the highest Grammy award.
My daughter Angelina was fond of ballroom dancing in childhood and is currently studying at a college in Santa Barbara. Recently, I wrote a song «Angelina» for her 19th birthday, which will be released soon.
By the way, tell us about the song you dedicated to your mother.
My mom is a very close person to me, I dedicated the song ‘Mother’s Love’ to her, in which I expressed my love and gratitude to her. I also dedicated it to all mothers, every daughter will find echoes of her personal gratitude to her mother in this song.
Where do you draw inspiration from? How does music come to life in your heart?
I draw inspiration from various sources – personal experience, observation of the world around me, encounters with interesting people. Music is born in my heart, soul, and mind when I feel deep emotion or experience something special. With notes, I express my state at that moment. By the way, I recently wrote a song about my native Odessa, how I remember it in my youth, I’m currently working on its release and will soon announce it, so stay tuned for updates on social media.
Tell our readers, how can they find you online?
With the advent of new technologies, the opportunities to hear my songs have expanded. You can find them on iTunes, Pandora, Spotify. I’ve created the official (466) yelianamusic — YouTube, and I also recommend subscribing to my Telegram channel Yelianamusic, where I regularly publish new songs, music videos, and share interesting moments of my life.
Being a beautiful woman, loving and loved, while being a successful business lady – it’s serious full-time work! How do you find time for music?
Yes, being a creative woman and simultaneously running a business requires time and effort. However, music is not just a professional hobby for me, it’s a Calling. I will always find time and energy for music because it stimulates me and brings joy. I try to find balance and be in harmony with myself and the world around me.
Tags:album "Formula of Love"album "Nobody But You"American Grammy AcademyAmerican musiciansAmerican Society of ComposersAmerican Society of Composers and PoetsChamber Music Festival in Beverly HillsChoral ConductingHarriet Shockhird album "A Few Lives Ago..."indiejazzJazz VocalLisa-Catherine CohenManhattan School of Music in New YorkOdessaOdessa Music SchoolOdessa State ConservatoryPhil CohenSergey ChipenkoUkraineYeliana Nikolskayaпоп
