Olga Shishkina (born 1985, Leningrad) is a prominent internationally active gusli artist. Originally coming from Russian classical school, Olga masterfully manages a wide variety of genres such as classical, folkloric and jazz. She has been an in-demand soloist participating in various projects with the leading names of the music industry.

Shishkina is a unique virtuoso soloist who has been expanding the repertoire and technical possibilities of the gusli, the most ancient Russian string instrument, bringing it to new heights. Gusli derives from the Biblical instrument psalterion, a type of harp played by King David, the patron of musicians. It dates back to the ancient lyres and kitharas of Greece and Egypt.

She has written a number of arrangements and transcriptions for gusli and other instruments of baroque, classical and impressionist repertoire where the full potential of the instrument unfolds. They comprise the main part of her concert programs.

She has developed her passion for the instrument since 8 years old and since then she has won a number of competitions and performed around the world, from the USA to Europe to Japan.

She played on the soundtracks to motion pictures and video games (Oscar nominated “Moscow Noir”, Sweden, 2018, directed by Mikael Håfström; “Torchlight 3”, USA 2020, music by Matt Uelmen, composer of “Diablo”, the recipient of Excellence in Audio award by the IGDA). In 2016 she composed and performed music to the documentary “To Siberia, With My Love” (Finland 2017, directed by Peter Flinckenberg).

Olga has collaborated with some of the top-notch musicians such as Alexandre Brussilovsky (violin, Paris), Nicholas Collon (piano, London), Graham Ross (piano, London), Nikolay Mazhara (piano, Saint Petersburg), Vladimir Shulyakovsky (violin, Saint Petersburg), Igor Goldenberg (organ, Moscow), Jon Hemmersam (guitar, Denmark), Deborah Henson-Conant (harp, USA). She has played with some of the major symphony orchestras such as Mariinsky orchestra, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Lapland Chamber Orchestra, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Cappella Symphony Orchestra and others. The conductors she has worked with are Kirk Trevor, Valery Gergiev, John Storgards and others.

Olga has given lectures at Winstanley Lecture Theatre and Clare College at Cambridge University. In 2022 she became the first teacher of gusli who was invited to teach at Rachmaninoff Conservatory in Paris.

Her first solo album “Con Brillo” (released by Estonian Record Productions in 2010) explores the potential of the instrument to the fullest, bringing it to new levels of virtuosity and expressivity. The album represents the results of collaboration with the leading musicians from St.Petersburg.

Olga has played in some of the best venues in Russia, Europe, Japan and the USA: Rachmaninoff Conservatory (Paris, France), Maison Russe des Sciences et de la Culture à Paris (Paris, France), Trinity Episcopal Church (Santa Barbara, California), Legacy Art Gallery (Santa Barbara, California), His Majesty Theatre (Aberdeen, Scotland), Royal Swedish Opera House (Stockholm, Sweden), Aalmarktzaal (Leiden, Netherlands), Junichi Watanabe Literature Hall (Sapporo, Japan), Finlandia-talo (Helsinki, Finland), House of Culture (Moscow, Russia), Mariinsky Concert Hall (St.Petersburg, Russia), St.Petersburg State Capella, Grand and Small Philharmonic Halls (St.Petersburg, Russia), Sheremetev Palace (St.Petersburg) and others. She appeared at many festivals, including Cambridge Summer Music Festival, Glasperlenspiel Festival, Kohti Viipuria, Aberdeen International Youth Festival and others.

At the age of 16 she was awarded second prize at the prestigious 6th All-Russian Competition for professional folk instruments players (2001, Tver) thus becoming the youngest prize-winner in the competition’s history. In 2011 she got the third prize and the special prize from the Society of Finnish composers for the Best Performance of a Modern Music Piece at the First International Kantele Competition (Helsinki, Finland).

She graduated summa cum laude from St.Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory where she studied gusli, piano, organ and orchestral conducting (2008) and later pursued postgraduate studies at Sibelius Academy (2012). In 2022 she graduated with the highest grade from Berklee College of Music focusing on jazz improvisation.

Apart from extensive performing Olga has also been a member of the jury of the 5th International Prahas Stepulis Chamber Music Competition (Siauliai, Lithuania, 2017), the International Kantele Competition (Petrozavodsk, 2014) and the First International Kantele Competition (Helsinki, 2015).

Olga has taught at Andreev Music School in St.Petersburg and Helsinki Pop-Jazz Conservatory.

Olga Shishkina plays instruments built by Koistinen Kantele.