About
Sasha Papernik is a first generation Russian-American classical pianist, singer, and composer who draws on her dual heritage and wide range of talents to present concerts spanning genres and continents. Scriabin, Prokofiev, Irving Berlin, Russian folk songs, and original works appear in her repertoire. Lauded by The Washington Post for her "lightly transparent performances of Chopin and Scriabin,” Sasha presented her Russian-American interactive concert, “I Speak Music,” with her New York based ensemble at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall for their Meet The Artist and Musical Explorers series. Her self-released bilingual pop album, Victory, was hailed by reviewers as "an eye opener," (Wildy's World) and "unparalleled in its aesthetics and musical elegance," (Indiemunity). Recent engagements include international Arts Envoy tours to Poland, Germany, and Estonia and performances at the Caramoor American Roots Music Festival, Lincoln Center’s Kaplan Penthouse, Cotuit Arts Center, The Smithsonian American Museum of Art in Washington, D.C.; New World Center, Miami; Carnegie Hall, The David Rubenstein Atrium, Bruno Walter Auditorium, and Joe’s Pub in New York City.
Sasha was a two year recipient of a Wildacres Artist Residency to write new original music in North Carolina. Carnegie Hall licensed and orchestrated Papernik’s original arrangement of the Russian Folk Song, In a Field Stood a Birch Tree, for performance and recording in their Link Up Orchestra program. She has scored the award winning online series, It’s Freezing Out There, and the independent full length movie, Pinsky. Sasha’s album, Bright As You, with her duo project, Our Band, was released in June 2021 and features legendary composer David Amram. The duo’s song, "Out With a Girl/Out With a Boy” from Bright as You won third place in the Chris Austin Songwriting Competition at Merle Fest 2021. Sasha was also a finalist in the New Song Competition in 2022.
A dedicated performer and educator, Sasha is a Teaching Artist for Lincoln Center Education and has written piano curriculum for the Juilliard School. She is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Manhattan School of Music.