Join us on September 17 for an evening of Nordic music and stories exploring themes of light and darkness with the newest works by globally acclaimed Nordic and Baltic maestras and GRAMMY® Recording Academy Members Johanna Telander, Helena Maria Falk, Anita Lerche, Arta Jēkabsone, Rasa Vitkauskaite and Simona Smirnova. This immersive event, produced by Nordic Artists of New York (NANY) together with esteemed Nordic and Baltic partners, celebrates collaboration, new Nordic and Baltic music in the global arena, and female representation in traditionally male-dominated fields of classical, jazz and musical theatre.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Johanna Telander is a Finnish-American composer, writer, performer, published poet and a Recording Academy Voting Member since 2024. Likely best known as the creator of “Kalevala: The Musical”, whose concept album has earned international acclaim and a devoted global following in over 80 countries, Johanna will be showcasing a selection of songs from her her highly anticipated newest musical theatre work, “Tales of Les Dames Blanches” set to be released in Summer of 2026. Beyond theatre, Johanna is a published poet, collaborates on scripts, scores films—most recently Quentin Garzón’s award-winning indie short “Gray Land”—and releases original contemporary pop songs for voice and harp. Career highlights include performing at the UN, Lincoln Center, and alongside Residente and Bad Bunny on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She’s also appeared on hit TV shows like 30 Rock and White Collar.
Helena Maria Falk is an award-winning Norwegian violinist and composer, a singular force in contemporary classical music known for bringing warmth, play, and depth to her performances and original scores. Educated at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, she has toured extensively worldwide, highlights including appearing as a soloist with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (KORK) and performing twice at Carnegie Hall in New York — first representing Norway at a United Nations peace concert in 2024, and returning in 2025 to premiere her own original music. Her work has received major international recognition, earning her the InterContinental Music Awards in 2024 and 2025, the Amor Artium Competition 2024, and nominations for the Cannes Sync Awards, World Entertainment Awards 2025, and HIMA Awards 2024 and 2025.
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imona Smirnova is a Lithuanian born vocalist, composer and kanklės player based in New York City. A global ambassador for the Lithuanian national instrument kanklės, she is currently the only professional kanklės player in the United States, as well as a published composer, touring artist, teacher and the global ambassador of the Lithuanian national instrument KANKLĖS. Simona released 4 albums of her original music, published a sheet music book of her original compositions for kanklės, she is a voting member of Grammy Recording Academy and recently launched her own signature instrument line “Kanklės in New York”, that features her own designed instruments that are available for sale across the world.
Rasa Vitkauskaite is an internationally acclaimed multiple prize-winning Lithuanian pianist, hailed for “artistry of poetic and observant sensitivity” (Gramophone) and dubbed as “a Beethoven interpreter of penetrating insight” (Fanfare). Recently invited to join the prestigious Steinway Artist roster, Rasa has performed in over 30 countries. She is the long-serving, critically acclaimed pianist of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and a voting member of the Recording Academy.
A New York City-based vocalist and composer Arta Jekabsone has won the prestigious Montreux Shure Jazz Voice Competition and has finished in the top three in multiple internationally renowned competitions. In 2021 she added 3rd prize at the Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Voice Competition to her long list of achievements. A vocal artist of the highest order, Arta regularly presents new works at The Jazz Gallery. In fact, she was awarded the Jazz Gallery Residency Commission Grant 2021. In 2023, Jēkabsone received the highest form of state recognition in the field of music, the Latvian Music Award “New Artist of the Year 2022”. ASCAP Foundation recently recognized her with an honorable mention in the 2024 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards and in May 2024 she concluded her artist residency at The Church in Sag Harbor.
Anita Lerche is a Danish-American singer-songwriter, composer and actress originating from Denmark. With the release of her album Heer from Denmark in November 2006, she became the first non-Asian woman from the west to create a solo album in Punjabi. Her accolades include four Global Music Awards for ‘Female Vocalist’ and nominations for ‘Best World Artist of the Year’ and ‘Best International Artist,’ highlighting her international acclaim and influence. Anita’s linguistic prowess, with performances in 16 different languages across various music genres, underscores her versatility and commitment to cultural exchange.