Description
Simona Smirnova
Simona Smirnova is a New York based composer and vocalist who is celebrating her birthday on the day of the show. A charming performer who plays an authentic Lithuanian folk zither – kanklės and she is the only kanklės player in the United States! Simona is a global ambassador for this unique instrument, she presents it across the globe in theaters, jazz clubs, festivals and challenges folk esthetics within the traditional idiom. Always on the road, always charming and smiling, Simona is a true artistic soul that effervescently represents diversity and passion for arts.
Simona is a graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, a member of Grammy Recording Academy and this year’s recipient of New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Artist Fellowship for Folk/Traditional Arts. At DROM, Simona will be presenting her brand new act entitled “Unapologetic” and performing with her band as a quartet. The show will have two special guest artists: a saxophone player Alec Hutson and a vocalist Manuel Linhares. The show will be a mixture of alternative pop, jazz, Eastern European folk and rock.