Bio

Nina Mya (b. 1989) is an award-winning singer & composer from Finland who has established an impressive career in music both as a leader and as a guest soloist already at a young age.

Mya has a dark, nuanced, technically impressive and unique voice. She is a strong interpreter who has technical skills from jazz yet sound and declaration of soul and gospel. She is praised as an energetic performer and a qenuine storyteller. A truly soulful artist whose musical language is easily understood. In her own music, she sings about her own experiences with life and love and the pain points of modern femininity.

Mya has released four albums of her own music as a bandleader: Flying Solo (2012), Our Time (2014), Closure (2016) and Just Another Lonely Soul (2021), as well as one album, Searching My Soul (2023) in collaboration with the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. Mya is currently working on an album with the legendary saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen and also her own solo album expected to be released in early 2027. 

Nina Mya was chosen as Pori Jazz Artist of the Year in 2012 and graduated from the Sibelius Academy in 2015, also spending one year studying in New York with Gretchen Parlato and Theo Bleckmann. She has gotten the attention of international jazz scene with an album release in Germany in 2016 and has done multiple performances abroad. 

Mya has also had a successful career as a voice actress, most recently in the lead role in Netflix’s animated musical “Thelma the Unicorn” Finnish version. The skilled and versatile singer has been in demand on many occasions across genre boundaries – she has also performed as a soloist with symphonic orchestras all over Finland in a Burt Bacharach tribute.

“Nina Mya is a highly talented Finnish jazz singer, who already attracted the attention with unusually mature sense of style, sound and natural skills for improvising at the age of 18. Within a few years, she has elevated as a singer and as a performer already fully to an international level” – Jari Perkiömäki, saxophonist, educator & PhD of Jazz Music Sibelius Academy 

 “Nina Mya has grasped an understanding of the expressive tradition of jazz music in a way that one seldom hears in the Nordic countries. Her command of her voice and sonic flexibility is impeccable and she’s easily able to adapt to a multitude of situations and styles. She is also a fine composer and a band leader. Nina is a diligent worker, her energetic output is getting stronger by the day and I think any musical situation can benefit from her presence.” – Jukkis Uotila, drummer, pianist, educator & professor of Jazz Music Sibelius Academy

 ”Nina Mya had the same strong soulful quality as Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick. Mya’s performances crowned the evening. It was a real pleasure to listen to her deep, dark voice, which sounded strong especially in the low range. The interpretations were sometimes overwhelming. The most wonderful interpretation of the evening was This House Is Empty Now which almost took my breath away when listening to. Mya’s character is sympathetic and genuine.” – Itä-Savo magazine concert review 01/2024

 “Nina Mya’s style is confident and her strong voice is enchanting. She is happy and outgoing. Her positivity is visible and audible. Her sexiness is a nice addition. She is an international performer who can do well in any corner of the world because her musical language is understood.” – The Web Jazz Magazine In Finland 10/2021

“Jazz singer Nina Mya’s international name might even fool someone with her origin: her voice, sound, style and technique reminds of a confident professional with a much longer career path” – Helsingin Sanomat 09/2012