MA
Simona Minns is a Lithuanian born jazz vocalist, composer and artistic director based in Boston. Her style is known for its unique theatrical flavor, genre-bending, and virtuosic vocal scat improvisation. Her latest work, “A Hunger Artist," blends her haunting vocals with elements of Lithuanian folk, vaudeville and even rock music to convey the narrative of Franz Kafka's short story by the same title. Classically trained on Lithuanian zither, Simona earned her BA in jazz vocals at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. Shortly after receiving the European Touring Scholarship, she moved to the United States to study at Berklee College of Music where she majored in Contemporary Composition and Production. She received the Berklee Outstanding Jazz Vocalist Award and regularly performs and presents workshops in the US and Europe. Simona recently founded a contemporary performance company, Syntheater, which brings her compositions to life through modern dance. Besides performing and directing, Simona composes for drama plays, string quartets, orchestras, jazz combo, big bands, and non-traditional instrumental settings. Profile photo by Geoff Norris, Doo Bop Jazz Bar, Brisbane, Australia. February 11th, 2018.
Additional Content:
Simona Minns 'A Hunger Artist' review
Review by John Fenton, about February 20th, 2018 performance at the Backbeat bar, Auckland, NZ.
"Final Fasting" original song @ Backbeat Bar
Australia/New Zealand tour. February 20th, 2018@ Backbeat Bar, Auckland, NZ
'A Hunger Artist' dance theater
"A Hunger Artist" is based on three fictional protagonists from the following works of literature: Hermann Hesse's The Glass Bead Game, Franz Kafka's A Hunger Artist and Fyodor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.
Debut album "A Hunger Artist" release show
May 20th, 2017 @ The Dance Complex, Cambridge, MA
Nirvana and Richard Rodgers mashup
Mashup of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" & "My Favorite Things" by Richard Rodgers
"A Hunger Artist" @ Boston Playwrights' Theater
Boston Furnace Fringe Festival, July 9th 2017
Institution/Business Type:
Artist / Creative (Individual)
Legal Status:
Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship
Institution/Business Type:
Artist / Creative (Individual)
Legal Status:
Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship
Primary Discipline:
Music - JazzAdditional Disciplines:
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$50 - $1,000Teaching Settings:
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$50 - $1,000NEST Eligible Artist
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$400 - $2,000State of Residence:
MassachusettsMinimum Number of Performers:
1Maximum Number of Performers:
8