Biography

MISHA: a German singer-songwriter currently living in Moscow, attempts  to fuse jazz and poetry, emotions and sophistication, and molds various styles and techniques into something new, something unusual – something one could call "expat jazz".

Originally from Germany, Misha now lives in Moscow where she works as a singer and songwriter and teaches improvisation and vocal technique. She works with some of Moscow's jazz greats like Sergej Manoukian, the Vladimir Nesterenko Trio (Vladimir Nesterenko piano, Makar Novikov Bass, Aleksandr Zinger drums), the Jakov Okun Trio (Jakov Okun piano, Anton Revnjuk bass, Aleksandr Mashyn drums), Ewgenij Boretz and others.  She also  performs with various formations in Russia, Eastern Europe and Germany. Her first album "With a bit of your love" was released in May 2004 at Rodenstein Records, her second album "Early Train" appeared  in August 2006 at Hofa, followed by her third album „Quadratur des Kreises" in 2008. Her new album „Christmas Jazz – Vom Leuchten der Sterne" ("Christmas Jazz – as the stars shine") has been released just in time for Christmas 2008.

In addition to her repertoire of jazz standards and original songs, Misha has put together a program dedicated to songs from the nineteen-thirties to the seventies made famous by the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Zarah Leander, Hildegard Knef and Ilse Werner entitled "Songs deutscher Ladies" It is a musical delicacy which Misha has produced with her musicians.

In addition, her program includes songs from her CD „Quadratur des Kreises" which she also  successfully performs in Germany.

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Misha's full  name is  Michaela Steinhauer. She was born in Morsbach/Sieg. At  an early age she began writing her own songs and working in several musical projects. She studied economic education at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, where she also interned  as a teacher and took singing lessons (one of her teachers was Nanny Byl). She worked with styles such as rock, funk, jazz rock, R&B and gospel. In 1999, her husband was transferred to Russia, and the whole family moved to Moscow. Misha met well-known jazz greats and began to study full-time at the College for Jazz and Contemporary Music "Consort" (meanwhile renamed to "Gershwin-College"), majoring in Singing and Composing. Among her teachers were Inga Yannik (Singing), Yuri Tshugunov (Composing), Michail Okun and Irina Tomaeva (Improvisation). Misha took part in festivals and contests and won several awards, for example  the national Yessenin Contest for Young Composers. She took master classes with Deborah Brown, J.D. Walter and Tatevikh Oganessian and was taught by J.D. Walter and Miles Griffith. In May 2004 she passed with distinction. Almost at the same time her debut album "With a bit of your love" was released by Rodenstein Records.

While still studying Misha started teaching vocal technique and jazz improvisation at College Consort. She's been directing two student jazz choirs at the German School Moscow (Jazz in Jeans, Gospels für Teens) and a youth choir at the Protestant Church  Evangelische Emmausgemeinde Moscow for some years now and gets invited to direct workshops (Moscow, Kazan, Braunschweig) every now and then.

After finishing her studies Misha started to perform in Moscow clubs with her project, Misha's friends. That's when she met famous pianist Jakov Okun and his MosGorTrio (Anton Revnjuk bass, Aleksandr Mashyn drums). It is the beginning of a fruitfull collaboration. They began performing together and in November, 2005 recorded Misha's second CD, "Early Train". Soon afterwards, Misha performed again in Germany with the Lionel Haas Trio, which she and the pianist founded after a tour in the Caucus region. (Baku, Gendja, Tiflis) siMpLy Jazz.

With Vladimir Nesterenko and his trio (Aleksandr Zinger drums, Makar Novikov bass), she traveled through the former Soviet republics performing her program, "Songs deutscher Ladies".

In 2007, she began working with German jazz pianist,  Mathias Claus, with whom she her musical mark in her native Germany. She had successful performances at the Weinstädter Jazztage and Braunschweig Classix.

The same year, Misha developed her musical skills while staying in New York for several months.  There, she studied with  JD Walter (arranger /composer /improviser) and Alison Wedding (vocalist).

2008 she released her CD „Quadratur des Kreises", a jazz CD with biblical content in German language, which she again recorded with the Jakov-Okun-Trio backed by flutist, Wladimir Nesterenko.

Christian faith is also the topic of Misha's latest   CD production: „Christmas Jazz – Vom Leuchten der Sterne" ->link setzen, containing jazz arrangements of well-known German Christmas songs from the 16th up to the 19th centuries.  That CD is to to be released in late 2008  (Vladimir Nesterenko pno & flute, Anton Revnjuk double bass & bass guitar, David Tkebutshava drums, Denis Shapovalov Cello).


*Moskauer Deutsche Zeitung, Dezember 2004*
For the German-born vocalist, singing is a dream come true. Her style is multi-faceted, her texts are vivid descriptions of what life is like, and the 39-year-old singer's distinguishing mark is her emotionality. If you miss one of her concerts, it's your loss.


*Passport-Magazine Oktober 2005*
John Harrison
"She's good", I thought, when I saw her at the Bluebird cafe in August. "She's very good" in fact, I thought towards the end of her set".


*Joshkar-Ola Mai 2006*
The German artist, Michaela Steinhauer, who teaches jazz vocals in Moscow, found the perfect musical partners when she met the Joskar-Olarer Gruppe led by Ruslan Nikolaev. The singer's flawless jazz intonation combined with her outstanding ensemble feel allowed each musician to perform excellent solos.


*Wolgograd Mai 2008 *
… the singer's high professionalism, her refined sensitivity for improvisation and her clear, soft voice not only touches jazz experts but
also beginners who have just started getting into the art of musical improvisation.