Svetlana Shmulyian
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Svetlana Shmulyian | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Moscow, Russia |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer; bandleader; songwriter; producer; educator |
| Years active | 2010s–present |
| Labels | OA2 Records; Starr Records |
| Website | www |
Svetlana Shmulyian (professionally: Svetlana) is a Russian-born, New York–based jazz vocalist, bandleader, producer, and educator. She leads the ensembles Svetlana & the Delancey Five, Svetlana's New York Collective, and Svetlana's Big Band. Her work has been featured at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.[1][2] She is an adjunct associate professor at Teachers College, Columbia University.[3] A 2022 NY1 feature notes she holds a PhD from Columbia University.[4]
Shmulyian was born in Moscow. She earned a bachelor's degree in Mathematics in Moscow before moving to the United States. She later received a master's degree in Nonprofit Management from The New School, a master’s degree in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and a PhD in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University.[5][4][6] She has been associated with Teachers College, Columbia University in Social-Organizational Psychology.[3] Before embarking on a full-time career in music, Shmulyian worked as a management consultant in the private sector and as a lecturer at New York University and Columbia University, teaching courses in management research methods and statistics.[5][7]
Career
Back Room residency and New York projects
Shmulyian began performing in New York jazz clubs in the 2010s and in May 2012 launched a Monday-night residency at The Back Room on the Lower East Side with Svetlana & the Delancey Five.[8][4] Beyond the quintet, she leads Svetlana's Big Band, which has headlined holiday shows at Birdland and the Blue Note.[9] She also tours and records with Svetlana's New York Collective, presented on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.[1]
Recordings
Her earliest release was the EP Baby It's Cold Outside (2012), recorded with the Delancey Five.[10] Shmulyian's debut album with the Delancey Five, Night at the Speakeasy (OA2 Records, 2016), featured guest Wycliffe Gordon and received coverage in All About Jazz.[11]
Her second album, Night at the Movies (Starr Records, 2019), drew media attention from WBGO and PopMatters.[12][13]
Later releases include the holiday EP Snowfall Swing – Live in Savannah! (2024) and Reel to Remix: Night at the Movies Reimagined (2025), which received reviews in PopMatters and UK Jazz News.[14][15][16]
Grants and residencies
Her project Swing Makes You Sing! was a Digital Residency grantee of Chamber Music America in 2021.[17]
She was also awarded a Jazz Road Tours grant from South Arts in 2021 for Svetlana / New York Collective, totaling $14,946.[18] She later received another Jazz Road Tours grant in 2025.[19]
Her projects were also included in New Music USA's Creator Fund (2023) and Organization Fund (2024).[20][21]
Notable performances
Shmulyian has performed internationally at the Bahrain Jazz Fest (2024),[22] the Jazz & Villas Festival in Italy (2017),[23] the Tel Aviv Blues Festival (2016),[24] and the Jerusalem Jazz Festival (2018).[25]
In the United States, she has appeared at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage,[26] and has headlined festivals including Romanza Festivale of the Arts in Florida[27] and the Bousquet Jazz Festival in Massachusetts.[28] She was also featured at Carnegie Hall in 2025 as part of Family Day: Spring Fest.[2]
Teaching and other work
Style and reception
Discography
Selected publications
- Schulte, M.; Ostroff, C.; Shmulyian, S.; Kinicki, A. (2009). “Organizational climate configurations: relationships to collective attitudes, customer satisfaction, and financial performance.” Journal of Applied Psychology 94 (3): 618–634. doi:10.1037/a0014365. PMID PMID 19450003.[29]
- Shmulyian, S.; Bateman, B. D.; Philpott, R.; Gulri, N. K. (2010). “Art or Artist? An Analysis of Eight Large-Group Methods for Driving Large-Scale Change.” In: Research in Organizational Change and Development, Vol. 18 (Emerald).[30]