Julia Vikman is of Polish descent on her grandmother’s side and Swedish descent on her grandfather’s side. Even before the revolution, during the time of Tsarist Russia, her grandparents were exiled to Siberia, where they met and started a family. Julia’s father, the distinguished artist Paweł Vikman, was director of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Chișinău, knew Bulat Okudzhava personally, and arranged Bulat’s concert tours in Russia and Moldova. Julia Vikman herself graduated from a music academy with a degree in piano.
After moving to her grandmother’s homeland, Julia began her solo career in Gdańsk and formed her band, JVB. She performs in Poland, Germany and France. She has shared the stage with Maryla Rodowicz, Ryszard Rynkowski, Budka Suflera, Moscow City Ballet and the Alexandrov Ensemble. As a special guest, she performs at international festivals dedicated to Bulat Okudzhava, including the festival in Hajnówka, Poland, held under the patronage of Olga Okudzhava, and the 6th Bulat Okudzhava Ballad Festival in Garncarska Village near Nidzica.
In 2008, Julia Vikman released the album “Moscow Nights,” recorded at Radio Gdańsk, featuring well-known Russian songs from the 1960s and 1970s as well as popular ballads and romances in Poland. The recording featured renowned musicians from the Polish jazz scene, including Emil Kowalski and Janusz Mackiewicz.
In May 2012, Julia’s second album, “Belye Rozy,” was released. It was recorded at Selekta Studio with the participation of renowned Polish, Russian and Ukrainian musicians. The album included compositions such as “Kalinka” and “Dark Eyes,” performed in a modern style. Interestingly, the popular song “The Last Sunday” was probably performed in two languages for the first time on this artist’s album: in Polish by Józef Masternak and in Russian by Julia.
The album featuring Bulat Okudzhava’s songs and the repertoire of the legendary Anna German is very popular. Following its premiere on 13 July 2013, it appeared in shops and in digital sales worldwide, including iTunes, Amazon and Spotify, together with digital releases of the “Bielye Rozy” and “Moscow Nights” albums.
In August 2014, Julia Vikman’s first album of original material, “The Autumn Dreams,” appeared in Empik stores. The album contains six songs through which Julia showcases her remarkable talent as a composer, vocalist and producer. It is a unique project and style that the artist herself describes as fantasy. It features elements of folk, jazz and progressive rock, while its interesting and unusual harmony, interwoven with unique musical ideas, makes it possible to say that nothing like it had yet appeared on the music market…
The concert programme will include songs from the repertoires of Bulat Okudzhava, Zhanna Bichevskaya, Anna German, Czesław Niemen and Vladimir Vysotsky, as well as other well-known ballads and romances.
Tickets (PLN 25) are available at the JCK ticket office at 28/30 Bankowa Street and at www.bilety.jck.pl. The ticket office is open Tuesday to Friday from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., as well as for two hours before the event.
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