Yelena Eckemoff

Yelena Eckemoff
Background information
Born	Moscow, Russia
Genres	Classical Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, label founder, producer, educator
Instrument	Piano
Years active	1991–present
Labels	L&H Production
Website	www.yelenamusic.com

Yelena Eckemoff is a Russian-born pianist, composer, poet, and visual artist. Her compositions blend classical music with jazz, and feature exploration and improvisation. ^[1]

Music career

Eckemoff was born in Moscow, Russia, in the Soviet Union. Her mother was a professional pianist and teacher. When Eckemoff was four, she started to play piano by ear and took lessons from her mother. At seven, she attended Gnessin State Musical College, a school for gifted children. She studied classical piano at Moscow State Conservatory. After graduating, she taught piano in Moscow. She gave solo concerts, took jazz classes, composed music for several instruments, and played in a jazz-rock band. ^{[2] [3]}

In her late 20th, she moved to the U.S. ^[4] She has recorded in several genres: classical, vocal, folk, Christian, and jazz. ^[5] Although jazz is typically associated with improvisation, Eckemoff often writes elaborate scores for her songs. ^[6] Her music has been described as classical chamber music in the context of improvisational jazz. ^[4]

Jazz Discography

• Cold Sun (L&H, 2010) with Mads Vinding and Peter Erskine
• Grass Catching the Wind (L&H, 2010) with Mads Vinding and Morten Lund
• Flying Steps (L&H, 2010) with Darek Oles and Peter Erskine
• Forget-Me-Not (L&H, 2011) with Mats Eilertsen and Marilyn Mazur
• Glass Song (L&H, 2013) with Arild Andersen and Peter Erskine
• A Touch of Radiance (L&H, 2014) with Mark Turner, Joe Locke, George Mraz and [Billy Hart]]
• Lions (L&H, 2014) with Arild Andersen and Billy Hart
• Everblue (L&H, 2015) with [Tore Brunborg]], Arild Andersen and Jon Christensen
• Leaving Everything Behind (L&H, 2016) with Mark Feldman, Ben Street and Billy Hart
• Blooming Tall Phlox (L&H, 2017) with Verneri Pohjola, Panu Savolainen, Antti Lotjonen and Olavi Louhivuori
• In the Shadow of a Cloud (L&H, 2017) with Chris Potter, Adam Rogers, Drew Gress and Gerald Cleaver
• Desert (L&H, 2018) with Paul McCandless, Arils Andersen and Peter Erskine
• Better Than Gold and Silver (L&H, 2018) with Ralph Alessi, Ben Monder, Christian Howes, Drew Gress and Joey Baron
• Colors (L&H, 2019) with Manu Katche
• Nocturnal Animals (L&H, 2020) with Arild Andersen, Jon Christensen and Thomas Stronen
• Adventures of the Wildflower (L&H, 2021) with Jukka Perko, Jarmo Saari, Panu Savolainen, Antti Lotjonen and Olavi Louhivuori
• I Am a Stranger in This World (L&H, 2022) with Ralph Alessi, Adam Rogers, Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits
• Lonely Man and His Fish (L&H, 2023) with Kirk Knuffke, Masaru Koga, Ben Street and Eric Harland
• Romance of the Moon (L&H, 2024) with Paolo Fresu, Riccardo Bertuzzi, Luca Bulgarelli and Stefano Bagnoli
• Scenes from the Dark Ages (L&H, 2025) with Carlo Nicita, Riccardo Bertuzzi, Eloisa Manera, Riccardo Oliva and Trilok Gurtu

References

1. Jurek, Thom (4 October 2013). "Artist Biography". All Music Guide. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
2. "Yelena Music". www.yelenamusic.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
3. "Yelena Eckemoff: Forget-Me-Not". wn.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
4. Sullivan, Mark (5 July 2016). "Yelena Eckemoff Quartet: Leaving Everything Behind". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
5. Boeckstaens, Andy. "Yelena Eckemoff Trio – Lions". London Jazz News. Archived from the original on 15 June 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
6. McClenaghan, Dan (11 March 2015). "Yelena Eckemoff Trio: Lions". All About Jazz. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2024.

External links

• Official website