Kristina Koller describes herself as ‘an evolving jazz-centric artist,’ and she is steadfastly making inroads into the music world. She is a songwriter, arranger & vocalist, and her music transcends generations, while embracing the history and mood of traditional jazz. Her album ‘Walk On By’ reimagines the Burt Bacharach songbook with intriguing, genre-bending arrangements and showcases a range of styles. Her voice is warm, and she can mix emotive delivery with uplifting, quirky delivery.
Her debut album ‘Perception’ (2018) saw Koller breaking the standard vocal jazz mould, and her second release ‘Stronger’ saw her combining art rock with jazz and indiepop. Her appeal is multi-generations and her style is unclassifiable. Her ‘Get Out of Town’ album celebrated the music of Cole Porter. Koller is a rising star, creating blends of genres but all with a solid jazz core. Platinum Mind thought she would make the ideal subject to be held in the Spotlight for our section highlighting artists.
Kristina Koller – introduce yourself and your music.
Born and raised a New Yorker, I’ve been singing since the age of eight, when my love for musical theatre began. For nearly ten years, I performed in musicals throughout Westchester County, NY, with some of my favorite roles, ranging from Fantine in ‘Les Misérables’ to the Cat in the Hat in ‘Seussical.’ During that time, I was classically trained and performed in ‘Tosca’ as the youngest first soprano in the Taconic Opera Company’s ensemble (Taconic is an opera, dance, and music company in Westchester, New York Taconic Opera.) While in high school, I started singing in the jazz band and discovered it may be something worth pursuing a little further. Starting at the Jack McLean Institute of Jazz ( University of Hartford) and transferring to City College of New York, where I graduated with a BFA in jazz voice.
I grew up listening to a lot of music, thanks to my parents! From Motown to Classical to Frank Sinatra to Led Zeppelin. So I’ve always been pretty open-minded when it comes to musical taste and exploring my musical ear.
Who have been/are your major influences?
Amy Winehouse, Jamie Cullum, Chet Baker, Anita O’Day, Sarah Vaughan, Bon Iver, and Hiatus Kaiyote (Australian jazz/funk combo). I know it’s a wide range, but each artist has something specific that I love.
How have you found your journey in music so far?
There are a lot more trials and tribulations than rewards. Being a professional musician for nearly eight years, I find that every year there is something new to tackle. I honestly thought I’d be touring the world by now, but it seems that funding across the board has been continuing to diminish for the arts. I also know that my music is not everyone’s “cup of tea;” it definitely isn’t as accepted as I thought it would be in New York. But I sell out shows across the United States and know that there is an audience for what I’m doing. I’ll continue to pursue different areas and see what sticks!
Do you feel you have broken into the international market?
Not really, I am getting some airplay, and once in a while, I’ll have someone randomly reach out to me about my music, but touring internationally is difficult and expensive. I don’t even know where to begin. Talking to other musicians, it seems that the only way to get to perform internationally is to get booked at a festival. But most of the artists that get booked are top acts with well-connected agents. So, an emerging artist like me does not have any performance opportunities internationally. I could probably book some smaller venues, but they would not be able to cover my costs to travel with my bandmates. Honestly, I wish music school had taught me more about this side of the industry.
Can you tell us about your new album, ‘Walk On By’, who is on it, and why you felt it was time to release this now?
I always tell this story to audiences, so here we go! My bassist James Robbins, pianist Fima Chupakhin, and I were on a tour in the Midwest, traveling from Tecumseh, MI, to Akron, OH.
James said, “Why don’t we put on some Burt Bacharach?”
Fima replied, “Who is that?,”
James: “You’ll recognize the songs once you hear them.”
My response was: “You know, my mom has been bugging me to put together an album of Burt Bacharach music, but I just don’t have the patience to arrange this music by myself.”
James responded, “Well, why don’t we work on it together?”
And the rest is history. I released the album three days after Bacharach’s 97th birthday. There was really no other reason as to why I released it, then ha ha! But the music was done, and I was ready for people to hear this music in a new light. I always love arranging music and making songs my own. It has also been great to see how people remember certain songs from their memories, or even, like me, growing up listening to this music.
How have you found musicians to work with, and why did you choose them?
I lived in NYC for nearly 7 years while I finished my degree and got my foot in the New York jazz scene. While I was there, I attended jam sessions regularly at Smalls, Zinc Bar, and Mezzrow. I met both my bassist and pianist at the jam sessions, and my drummer when I was interning at Jazz at Lincoln Center, when I was in college. It’s important to find bandmates who are not only great musically but who you feel comfortable with on a social level, especially if you travel with them! James and Fima have been with me for about 6 years, and Cory has joined in the last 3 years.
How do you go about adding something to numbers that are already well-known?
The first step is deciding what songs I want for an album. Burt Bacharach has so many hits, so it was difficult to select a limited number of them. Whenever I put a new project together, I pick songs that I relate to first before I think of the arrangement. What was fun about having James as a collaborator is that we both got together and went through ideas together on a regular basis. Right off the bat, he said I have an idea for ‘Say a Little Prayer.’ The funny thing is, I didn’t think we would do that one because that’s probably one of Bacharach’s most popular songs, and I didn’t want to touch it. But that song was always played in my house growing up, so I had to do it! Sometimes the arrangements come easily because I sing through a song and I’m like, “You know, that would sound nice as a 5/4 vibe,” and mainly it’s the storytelling for me; the lyrics and the melody help create an idea of what I want to portray through an arrangement.
What are your aspirations for the next few years, and where do you want your music to take you?
I would like to continue booking shows with my band throughout the US and ideally get into the European market. We are currently brainstorming ideas for the next album, and James is ready to collaborate again! I also have a bunch of original music that I have to record and release into the world, probably as singles.
Can you sum up how important it is to establish your identity as an Artist?
Forming my identity is tricky as an artist. With the state of the world that we are currently in, it’s hard to fully be yourself and not offend anyone. I’ve also felt it’s been a bit trickier for me with the jazz scene because I’m not following what I like to call the “jazz singer formula.” The majority of jazz singers have a similar look and sound, but I’ve always felt like I’m an artist who loves to sing a lot of different styles of music and don’t want to be part of that small bubble. Hence why it makes it a bit more difficult for me to find my identity as an artist.
What’s next for Kristina Koller? And what can we expect to see in the near future?
Currently, I am looking to book shows for 2026. I’ve been pretty busy this summer working at a performing arts venue and learning more about the business side of a venue. Soon, James and I will get together to brainstorm the next album, ideally aiming to record more music in the winter. I’m ready for my next project.
