Mirka Novak, born in the Czech Republic, is a multi-faceted soulful vocalist, performer, songwriter, vocal coach, and CEO of a music school in Pilsen. Her music balances between genres with a taste of jazz, funk, R’n’B, soul, and world music.
She graduated from the University of West Bohemia in 2013 with a Master’s degree in Music and Psychology, and devoted her life to music ever since. Her passion for music took her to various prestigious places around Europe and the USA. Gaining experience resulted in various opportunities, in 2018 Mirka was a motivational speaker at prestigious TEDx Talks in 2018 or an invitation to perform at the Slovak and Czech embassy in Washington DC. She was also invited to perform and to do an interview at radio stations in multiple countries, performed at the festival SXSW in Austin, Sofar Sounds, Brass House, Elephant Room in Austin, the prestigious Twins Jazz in DC and eg. jazz festivals in Germany and Poland.
Since 2012, she has been visiting the USA regularly to enhance her music skills and made her way to the “jazz mecca” of New Orleans, Austin, Boston, NYC, and Washington DC, where she has been playing and recording with renowned musicians. In the past, she worked with Federico Gonzalez Pena (who collaborated with Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Chris Botti), Tarus Mateen (Betty Carter, Outcast, Lauryn Hill), Vincent Wiley (R. Kelly), Dave Manley (Jill Scott), David Haynes (Chaka Khan), Ivan Audes, Kristina Barta, Filip Spaleny, Daniel Bulatkin, Nick J. Lewis, DeAndrey Howard, and many others.
In Europe, she soon became recognized among others due to her experiences and high working ethic and drive (eg. she got a residency at the world-renowned jazz club Reduta in Prague). Right after she became a member of Jazz Without Limits (Jazz bez hranic) organizing team. Notably, she took on the role of coaching the Czech representative Aiko for the Eurovision competition in 2024, further enforcing her influence in the music industry.
In 2022, Mirka unveiled her debut album “Malbum” under the esteemed Slovak label Hevhetia. This groundbreaking work, crafted using a loop station, serves as a testament to her exploration of authenticity and self-expression through music.
As a member of the ensemble HLASKONTRABAS Oktet, Mirka embarked on an artistic journey to Iceland, supported by the EEA and Norway Grants. This two-week residency bore fruit with the recording of yet another album, “Kaleidoscapes,” under the most famous Czech publishing house Animal Music.
From her love of passing on music, in 2017 she founded and become an CEO of the music school “Studio Zpěv Plzeň” in Pilsen, which brought her loyal students and is still popular today.
In 2024, Mirka, together with pianist Kristina Barta, opened the concert of newly crowned Grammy Award winner Nicole Zuraitis (Best Vocal Jazz Album) at the Antonín Dvořák Hall in Plzeň.
Whilst traveling across the world in search of music and personal interpretation, Mirka Novak captivates audiences with her distinctive soulful voice and contemporary sound infused with an irresistible groove. Her musical prowess shines through, evident in the confident rhythms and improvised melodies that grace her performance.
Opening concert for Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis, 2024
Concert together in Washington DC
Workshop, Berklee Global Jazz Institute, Boston
Masterclass, Jazz Dock, Prague
I have had the privilege of collaborating with some of the finest musicians in the world.
Among them, Mirka Novak stands out as an exceptional artist whose talent and passion for music for the long haul was inspiring to me.”
Nicole Zuraitis – GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter, pianist, and arranger
My March and April schedules for 2024 was packed to the brim!
Flying between Austin, TX and Los Angeles, where I was attending
Scenario DIY music conference.
As a part of promoting Mirka Novak’s debut, which was released in the summer of 2022, she toured the USA for 6 months. Her travels began in Austin TX, where she recorded new originals with Matthew Thomas Muehling on guitar, Dayne Reliford on keys, Nick J. Lewis on bass, and Justin Hights on drums at the Alnico recording studio.
Heading north-east to play prestigious concerts in New York City, Washington D.C., and Boston MA, she continued to expand her music business network. In May 2022, Mirka returned to Austin to present her unique performance on a loop station at Sofar Sounds in Austin TX. While staying in TX, she gave a couple of interviews on Austin’s radio stations.
