Christie Kanska
VOCALIST, PIANIST, COMPOSER, CHORAL DIRECTOR, SINGER-SONGWRITER & MUSIC EDUCATOR (VOICE, PIANO, CHOIR).
Christie was born in the capital of Armenia in Yerevan. She began playing piano when she was seven years old. She studied classical piano and then moved on to study at the Jazz & Contemporary music College. She later earned her degree in Fine Arts. In 1995 she moved to Greece where she worked as a vocal faculty at the New Odeon of Thessaloniki and Filippos Nakas Odeion Conservatory. She was awarded a scholarship to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston where she completed her Bachelor degree in Professional Music in 2004.
Christie has performed as a vocal soloist with various classical, modern and jazz bands and orchestras. She was a member of the national Chorus of Erevan and was the conductor of the Children’s Chorus of the Greek Embassy of Armenia. She participated in a video and charity concerts to support earthquake victims with other well known singers from Armenia.
As the lead singer of her jazz band, she took part in festivals in Thessaloniki (the cultural capital of Europe) during 1997. She was featured as the vocalist in several T.V. musical specials at ET3 (a channel in Northern Greece) together with Alexandro Triantafillou.
At the Ancient Greek Theater in Thessaloniki “Odeion of Ancient Market” she performed her own orchestral arrangements of Armenian & Greek folk songs with her band.
Around the World
In 2005 in Boston she produced her CD “Who Needs Love” with original music and lyrics. She collaborated on that album with world known musicians Jamey Haddad, Leo Blanco, Spiros Exaras, Rick Dimuzio along with her husband Zdenek Kansky. Other musical adventures included performing with with Royal Caribbean International cruse lines throughout the Caribbean and Pacific Northwest.
Along with their “World Jazz Group” Christie & Zdenek in 2006 played in concerts, music festivals and movie festivals across the Czech Republic, Slovakia & Austria. They performed at the renowned jazz club “Reduta” in Prague.
Christie has maintained a faithful following of vocal and piano students of all ages as a certified teacher of the Royal Conservatory Development Program (Canada). Several of her students, as part of her vocal group “Angel Voices” was featured on her 2015 original Christmas single “Merry Christmas to Ya”.
In 2014 she and her husband Zdenek Kansky founded ZCK Music Production. Along with her voice and piano teaching Christie can be found performing with ZCK Jazz Quartet and her Christie Kanska Jazz Quartet at local jazz venues.
From 2017-2018 Christie was invited to India to work as a Voice Faculty at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (S.A.M.)-India’s Finest Western Contemporary Music College in South Asia. She was participating in a concert for a Brtitsh consulate in Chennai and was a judge in many music festivals and singing competitions.
Christie Kanska released her studio Album “Le Rêve” – The Dream in 2019
With this Studio Album, she wanted to create a fresh sound of Latin Jazz music mixing with the Fusion feel and other styles and capturing the positive spirit and story behind each song.
Le Rêve – The Dream features 11 tracks. Track- the “Le Rêve”, an original instrumental composition by Christie Kanska. The other songs are 7 well-known bossa nova standards by some of the best-known Brazilian singer-songwriters, including popular tunes such as Bananeira by Joao Donato;
Dindi, Triste, Fotografia, No More Blues, One Note Samba and the iconic Girl From Ipanema by Carlos Jobim. All tunes are arranged by Zdenek Kansky & Christie.
These songs provided creative and challenging opportunities for Christie as the vocalist, pianist, and producer to find new ways for unique expressions. She wanted to do something new and creative.
Brazilian music, particularly Bossa Novas is her favorite style. When she performs the samba she feels completely relaxed and like a “fish in water.”
CD Album featuring Christie Kanska – on vocals, and keys, Zdenek Kansky on electric and acoustic bass, Matt Savage on piano and keyboard, Ethan Kaczowka on acoustic guitar, Javier Rosario on electric guitar, and a Brazilian drummer Alberto Netto.
On their India Tour during February, and March of 2019 promoting the album “Le Rêve” Christie was performing with different musicians from India at some of the famous Jazz venues in India as The Piano Man Jazz Club, Delhi, The Quarter, OPERA HOUSE, MUMBAI, HOME Jazz Club in New Delhi, S H I S H A jazz club, PUNE, WINDMILLS CRAFTWORKS, BANGALORE.
Christie’s music was played on London Radio Station, on 90.5 WICN Radio Station as well in Greece, and broadcast in the Czech Republic.
Publication in magazines:
https://www.jazziz.com/new-releases/le-reve-the-dream/
In 2021 Christie received Gold Medal in Voice, RCM teacher of recognition
In 2021 State award, Royal Conservatory Development Program (Canada)
In 2020 Christie moved from MA to NY. During a time of isolation and despair which many people relate to – the world‘s lockdown
Christie wrote a song “Stay Home” and she produced this song with Zdenek Kansky at ZCK recording studio in Yonkers, NY.
”Stay Home” was submitted for Grammy and was featured on Billboard on October 8, 2022 edition. Since Covid started Christie was teaching online lessons to students from different countries such as Singapore, China, Greece, and different states of the USA.
In 2021 she started to work in NYC with the children’s choir for Harmony Program as well she become a member of the Cecilia Chorus of NYC. On April 2, 2022, she performed Carmina Burana with the choir and 4 grand pianos and percussions at Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage.
Christie was chosen to become a Grammy Recording Academy member and Steinway & Son’s official educator in 2020.
In 2023 GRAMMY selected Christie as their 2023 Grammy U Mentor.
From 2022-2023 Christie is a part of the Carnegie Hall NYC Educators team workshop and she performed with the NYC
Educators choir at Carnegie Hall on June 10th at Zankel Hall directed by internationally celebrated choir director Dr. Chantel R. Wright.
Now she is working on the production of a Children’s Album. Her Children’s choir based in Brooklyn, NY loves to sing Christie’s original songs, and her particular song “I am in Control” Christie wrote especially for that children as a song- of encouragement.
Christie captures her audience with her honesty and artistic mastery. She expresses her love for people, nature, and life through her unique gifting and her original music and poetic lyrics.