Pelageja / Пелагея

Pelageya Sergeyevna Khanova (Russian: Пелагея Сергеевна Ханова) or Pelageya, (born 14 July 1986), is а Russian singer. She sings folk-songs from different nations in different languages, romances and compositions written by the members of her group, mostly in rock arrangements.

Pelageya's mother, Svetlana Gennadiyevna Khanova (Russian: Светлана Геннадиевна Ханова), formerly a jazz-singer, theatre director and performing arts instructor, is now a producer and art director of her daughter's band. Pelageya's father is unknown. Her last name Khanova is the surname of her mother's last husband. At the age of eight Pelageya entered the musical school attached to Novosibirsk Conservatoire. At nine she was awarded the title "Best folk-singer of Russia in 1996" at a television contest. And at ten she signed a contract with FeeLee Records label and the family moved to Moscow. At the age of 14 she completed her school education through correspondence and entered Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, from which she graduated with honours in 2005.

In 1997 she sang at Moscow's 850th Anniversary Pageant concert, was the sole performer at the Heads of Government of Three States Summit (Jacques Chirac, Helmut Kohl, Boris Yeltsin) and participated in KVN TV show as a member of Novosibirsk State University team.

In July 1999 she was invited by Mstislav Rostropovich to a musical festival in France alongside with Evgeny Kissin, Ravi Shankar, B.B. King. In an interview to a French newspaper Galina Vishnevskaya - Rostropovich's wife - called her then "a future of the world's opera". In 2000 Pelageya assembled a band under her name.

In 2009 Pelageya was awarded the title "Best female soloist of the year" according to Nashe Radio. In January 2010 she took part in Bobby McFerrin's project Bobble.

In 2012 Pelageya joined Golos (The Voice of Russia) as a coach.

(en.wikipedia)