Hi!
My name is Yana (Iana) Okhotenko

  • musician/composer and public figure from Russia
  • co-founder of the non-profit organization called "JazzAid"
  • promoter of jazz music
  • organizer of events related to jazz culture
I have been making music since childhood. I played my first concert at the age of 17 for the Science Film Festival at Moscow State University. Since 2003 I have been creating electronic music. In 2007, I created my first musical group playing rock and roll and blues. In 2008, I got into the world of jazz dances, and in 2012 we created a jazz band, which over the years of its existence has performed in Ukraine, Belarus, Israel, Lithuania and Poland.

I created several more musical projects, including my solo project YANA FM and a creative project called MO / MB (Musica Omnia / Музыка Всё), which was invented by me and my friend. We started with blues music and then we began discovering different style as jazz and rock.

Since 2018, I have been doing dance and music events and competitions for jazz dancers, for example, the Russian Jazz Dance Championship. In 2019 we created the non-profit organization called JazzAid which helps people to get acquainted with jazz culture through music and dance and supports talented jazz people. Also in 2019, we received a grant and held the Moscow Jazz Summer festival.

I took part in the big band of the State Musical College of Variety and Jazz Art. In 2019, we took third place in the "Piano in Jazz" competition and opened a gala concert at the Gnessin School.

At the beginning of 2020, I gave an interview at the Public Chamber, where my friend and colleague and I talked about JazzAid.

In 2021 I published the book "Do the Superheroes Feel Lonely?".

Before the pandemic, I finished work on the script and arrangements for my musical "Rhythm Changes", but the pandemic suspended active work on it, and then in 2023 I moved to Paris.

In Paris, I created several creative duos: with saxophonist Alexandra Demina, and singers Alexandra Savchenko, Lenish, and Lysia. Additionally, together with Alexandra Demina and Ukrainian dancer Tatyana Gracheva, we formed a creative group and present different performances. I also work in Gymnasium №1 as a music teacher for kids, and I also teach vocals.

My gigs
Misha'n'Yana & Co Orchestra
The Facepalmers ft. Naomi Uyama (USA)
Misha'n'Yana & Co Orchestra
Misha'n'Yana & Co Orchestra
My Dance Competitions
My BandLinks
Blues Swig promo video
Promo avec Yassin Karoui, Lysia, Marc Gauthier et Michel Sanchez, Île-de-France, 2024
Dancing with the Stars
In 2016 I took part in the TV show "Dancing with the Stars" as a choreographer, and Nelly and Evgeny won that round.

They performed charleston to the "Crazy In Love" remix
Nelly Uvarova & Evgeny Rayev - Charleston
Musica Omnia / Музыка Всё
Part of our show dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of Woodstock in the famous Moscow rock club "16 Tons"
Diplomas
The “Piano in Jazz” competition, Moscow, 2019:

• First-degree diploma in the “Jazz Ensembles” category
• Laureate title in the “Big Bands” category