For Your Consideration:

  • FYC: Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album
  • FYC: Best Music Video

  • Also submitted to:

  • Best Immersive Audio Album
  • Dramatic, theatrical, beautiful, and mysterious – “Metamorfosi” was unique by every conceivable definition, and entertaining beyond words – Milana Zilnik is significantly special & creates breathtaking art in her music, and deserves to be recognized as our BEST NEW SOUND this year.

    ~ Jeremy @ SleepingBagStudios

    “Metamorfosi” is a new conceptual album from Milana Zilnik, released worldwide via all major streaming services on October 27, 2023. Following the description of “New Age” category, this album incorporates elements and influences from diverse musical genres (classical, rock, jazz, ethnic, etc) to serve common artistic intentions to create an atmospheric musical journey of a composer who decided to write music for “Alice in Wonderland” story and accidentally fell through a Rabbit Hole that opened inside her piano. Much like Alice’s adventure, Milana explores surreal sides of her musical soul, crafting unique blends of instruments along with her voice.

    All the instrumental and vocal elements of the album were composed by Milana over two years, resulting in over 500 pages of scores. The album features Milana’s own piano, Hang and vocal performances, alongside contributions from five extraordinary guest musicians from all over the world. From the magnificent cello of Yamaha Artist Yoed Nir to the magical guitar of Vitaliy Tkachuk and haunting shamanic flute of Boris Khodorkovsky, Craig Akin’s dramatic bass, and Phil DiMercurio’s orchestral rocking drums and percussion.

    “Metamorfosi” was mixed and mastered at Justin Gray`s studio in Toronto, both in stereo and in Dolby Atmos immersive audio.







    Dear Members of The Recording Academy,

    Thank you for your consideration of “Metamorfosi” for Best New Age, Ambient, Or Chant Album in The GRAMMY Awards®.

    We hope that this album will take you on a journey to the Wonderland and beyond. Especially, if you can listen to this album in Dolby Atmos to get the immersive audio experience (available on Apple Music and TIDAL).

    This musical and visual story is not about Alice. Although, we’ve all had Alice in our lives. As well as the Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts and Jabberwocky, in one form or another. This story is about you. This story is about me.

    My life has been swirling around Wonderland for a long time. I have two cats who are as mischievous as Cheshire’s smile. I have Mad Hatter for a husband, crazy enough to believe in three impossible things before breakfast and all day long, and even crazier to make them real. I have Tweedledee and Tweedledum for kids, complementing each other in curious ways. I have my own inner demons to fight against, be it the Red Queen or Jabberwocky.

    Together with my Mad Hatter we’ve been playing this eternal chess game of Metamorphosis, transforming dreams into reality. We both felt like Alice’s story just wanted to hatch through our music into the wonder of this world. And it finally did, bending time and reflecting the sky. All we had to do is making the choice to follow the White Rabbit down the Rabbit Hole. It took us to places we’ve never been before. And this journey becomes Curiouser and Curiouser ever.

    We are all mad here!

    Milana Zilnik and Arty Sandler
    Pianist, Composer, Singer and the Producer.
    Alice and her Mad Hatter.


    Reviews

    The music, composed by Milana Zilnik, serves as the heartbeat of the film. Well-paced and intricately woven into the narrative, it not only sets the scene but also tells a compelling story of its own, creating a harmonious blend of instruments that complements the visual spectacle. “Metamorfosi” is a testament to the creative prowess of its creators while tributing a classic tale, with director Arty Sandler orchestrating a visually stunning and musically captivating journey. The film invites viewers to delve into the depths of their imagination and embrace the transformative power of music. In just five minutes, “Metamorfosi” leaves a lasting impression with a magical interlude that lingers even after the final note has faded.
    ~ Parker Jesse Chase @ Festival Reviews

    Metamorfosi has been entirely amazing to listen to, captivating at every opportunity, and an authentically audible triumph – and I sincerely hope that Zilnik gets recognized for all the tremendous efforts that have been put into each and every song along the way. From the moment it began, to the finale of “The Other Journey,” the quality is relentless from production to performance, and the only thing that rivals the professionalism you’ll find there is the imagination in the ideas. You really can’t lose with an album like Metamorfosi as far as I can tell – if you enjoy creativity and art, there’s no way on Earth that you wouldn’t love something as compelling as this album truly is.
    ~ Jeremy @ SleepingBagStudios

    “Metamorfosi” is a thirteen-track symphony of thematic intricacies and musical ingenuity. Skillfully blending elements of jazz, modern classical, cinematic, and rock, the album envelops listeners in a captivating labyrinth of rich melodies and harmonies. From the soul-stirring piano compositions to the shimmering hang drums, fiery guitars, and emotional strings, every track within “Metamorfosi” weaves a complex sonic tapestry that resonates deeply within the listener’s soul. The seamless integration of vocal expression, compositional finesse, and instrumental virtuosity attests to Milana Zilnik’s status as a pioneering force in the contemporary music landscape.

    Milana Zilnik’s conceptual insights into the album offer a glimpse into the labyrinthine depths of her creative process. Exploring themes of personal transformation, existential confrontation, and the perpetual ebb and flow of life’s wonder, she weaves a narrative that resonates with universal truths and personal revelations. Drawing parallels to the iconic characters from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” Zilnik invites listeners to introspect and unravel the intricate tapestry of their own existence.
    ~ Rick J @ TunedLoud!

    From the percussive downtempo tic-toc rhythm and haunting melancholy of “The Hatch” to the epic cinematic coda “The Other Journey”, the thirteen-song set offers another glance through the looking glass, from a completely new perspective. As the composer falls into this parallel world, she actually metamorphoses into Alice. Orchestral strings and ethereal vocal harmonies set the scene for our heroine as she encounters her own fears in a strange new world on tracks like “Curiouser and Curiouser” and “Jabberwocky”.

    Emotional themes and power-ballads like “A Game” and “Bending Time” meet Caribbean grooves and soul-stirring vocals on the excellent Latin jazz-infused “Queen of Hearts”. Throughout the story, Milana Zilnik moves musical instruments and genres around like pieces on a chess board. She paints her canvas with a palette of beautiful interwoven strings and vocals on tracks like “At The Door”, and hypnotic syncopated hang pan percussion on the title track.
    ~ Bob Smith @ StaticDive

    Metamorfosi is a fascinating evolution of Milana Zilnik's 2020 release, Abracadabra. An expression of some of the same ideas taken in a different direction, this album includes more instrumentation and a colorful roster of musicians from several different countries. The music on the album defies any specific genre or category - something I always appreciate. Elements of rock, jazz, cinematic, pop and classical - a little bit of everything - are utilized in order to tell the highly imaginative story. This is great stuff!
    ~ Kathy Parsons @ MainlyPiano

    This is great vision and concept in every detail of its presentation. Each composition captures magical transformations on this fantastic journey, where the music plays with superb blends of musicianship and vocal phrasing. Its universal appeal speaks to the highest level of professionalism. Thoroughly enjoyable. Favorite track: At The Door.
    ~ Harry Hverheij (via BandCamp)

    Credits


    Composed by Milana Zilnik
    Produced and directed by Arty Sandler
    Hang, Piano and Vocals by Milana Zilnik (Canada)
    Cello by Yoed Nir (Israel)
    Guitars by Vitaliy Tkachuk (Ukraine)
    Bass by Craig Akin (USA)
    Flutes by Boris Khodorkovsky (Canada)
    Drums & percussion by Phil DiMercurio (USA)
    Mixed by Justin Gray at Synthesis Sound (Canada)
    Mastered by Justin Gray at Immersive Mastering (Canada)
    Artworks by Anastasia Frenkel (Canada)
    Decorations, Filming and Video Editing by Sergey and Daniel Boyko
    Released by Silent Beat Records (Germany)

    © 2023, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Click photos below to read more.
    Close Milana Zilnik (Canada, composer, pianist, vocalist, Hang drummer) is a multi-award winning pianist, composer and singer-songwriter, who has been a performing and recording artist since her childhood. A strong lyricist and composer in her own right, Milana’s style is reminiscent of Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Michael Nyman, Keith Jarret and Chick Corea. Milana enjoys playing by ear, improvising and using whatever inspires her to create her own style of music, a fusion of classical, rock, world and jazz genres.

    Milana was born in Ukraine, lived in Israel for many years and moved to Canada in 2008. Having lived in different countries has enriched her musical experiences and storytelling. Her songs touch on issues of belonging, identity, the inner child, war and peace, and life and death. Soulful singing and complex piano melodies are Milana’s signature, but she embraces a variety of styles — everything from folk, blues, opera and Middle Eastern, to her soft spots for rock and jazz.

    Milana has published three books with original scores for solo piano, released over twenty original full-length albums. More than 50 of her piano solo works have been featured on music editorials such as Apple Music’s “Piano Chill” or Amazon Music’s “Ultimate Classical” station. Her music has been streamed over 60 Million times on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora and related platforms. In 2023 Milana’s orchestral and piano solo works were performed by Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra alongside compositions by Helge Burggrabe and Ralph Vaughan Williams for Bryan Arias’s ballet show based on “The Little Prince” story.
    Close Arty Sandler (aka Artyom Tchebotaryov, Canada, producer)

    Milana’s husband for 20 years and a software developer and a manager by day, Arty founded and developed many online projects in his free time. Since 2012, Milana and Arty started a shared musical project together, eventually growing into a recording & composing studio. Arty is managing audio & video production, as well all the business related side of running a studio.
    Close Justin Gray (Canada, mixing and mastering) is an award-winning producer, mixing engineer and mastering engineer based in Toronto. Over the course of his career, Justin has received several awards and distinctions, including the recent 2022 Juno award for best Jazz Album.

    Justin is a leader in the field of immersive audio mixing & mastering, where he works with artists, producers and labels worldwide to bring their music to life in the Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio formats. As a mixing and mastering engineer, Justin works out of his own studio (Synthesis Sound & Immersive Mastering), which is one of the first Dolby Atmos and Sony 360RA certified music studios in Canada.

    As an educator, Justin is on faculty at Humber College in Toronto, where he teaches audio production, composition and music performance.
    Close Yoed Nir (Israel, cello) has truly captured a unique voice and musical homogeny that stands as a reflection on the landscape of our world today. Endorsed by Yamaha, Apogee, DPA & D’Addario he has emerged fully formed in command of his craft, identity and music through his debut record Suspended Hours.

    Nir appears on more than 4000 albums worldwide as a cellist and/or arranger. Over the past few years he has recorded and toured with Regina Spektor, Judy Collins and Interpol’s Paul Banks, appearing on their most recent albums and concert broadcasts from around the world. He has performed in such storied venues as Radio City Music Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Rose Theatre at Lincoln Center, to name a few.

    Yoed has also appeared on The Today Show and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien (NBC), The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS), Good Morning America (ABC), The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS), The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) and Later with Jools Holland (BBC).
    Close Vitaliy Tkachuk (Ukraine, guitars) is a guitarist and composer from Odessa, Ukraine. He plays acoustic and electric guitars, bansuri flutes and arabian oud. Born in 1977, he studied music in his hometown, Kryvyi Rih (Ukraine), jazz guitar in “Hanns Eisler” high music school in Berlin, and then in Mumbai (India), where he learned the art of Indian bansuri flute from the greatest bansuri exponent Hariprasad Chaurasia.

    Vitaliy played and recorded with many Ukrainian and international artists, such as Marc Bernstein, Kevin Mahogany, Ray Brown jr., Chanda Rule, Karl Frierson (DePhazz), Ingrid Arthur, Ashley Slater, Louie Austin, Don Dunn, Vladimir Chekasin, Onita Boon, Vernon D. Hill and many others.

    Vitaliy recorded the soundtrack to a famous silent movie by Dziga Vertov — “A Man with a Movie Camera” (1928), successfully premiered on MAMI international movie festival in Mumbai (India) in 2016 by Vitaliy Tkachuk quartet. He also released a solo-guitar album “Life on Strings” and is currently working on “Cafe Damask”, 5-piece acoustic band that plays arabian-influenced music.
    Close Phil DiMercurio (USA, drums and percussion) has played drums since a very young age and it was always a dream for him to turn it into a professional career. By taking on a path in the audio engineering industry and getting a formal training behind the drum kit for 12 years, Phil was able to acquire the knowledge and equipment to make this dream possible.

    With 15 years of experience in recording studios, Phil has worked and written for GRAMMY® nominated and multi-award winning artists. He has a small personal studio that he built in Hagerstown, Maryland (USA) where Phil records for clients, friends, family, and himself.

    When Phil was writing the parts for “Metamorfosi” album, his approach was to put emphasis on when to play and what colors to add. He also put a lot of focus on when not to play and let the other instruments take over giving the song a chance to breathe.
    Close Craig Akin (USA, electric and upright bass) was born in Tulsa, OK in the early 70’s. His musical path was charted by a family of creatives and wanderlust inspired by the meandering Arkansas River. Next to his mama, Craig learned to play the piano at age 8 and turned to the trumpet at twelve. While most adolescents at the time were learning to “Walk like an Egyptian”, or glued to INXS (insert 80’s band of choice!) on MTV, Craig began guitar theory and harmony lessons.

    Since then, Craig Akin has contributed to more than 100 albums and performed in well over 5,000 shows from Tulsa to Taipei, with countless New York gigs and hundreds of national and international concerts and festivals in between.

    What he brings to the bandstand and studio today is a talent that is versatile, professional, relentless, intuitive yet always prepared. He’s passionate and authentic but also quickly adaptable to any musical situation, from jazz to pop, and folk to rock, Craig is always committed to every note.
    Close Boris @netocrat Khodorkovsky (Canada, flutes) is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist of Ukrainian-Jewish descent. A saxophone student of legendary Gerald Danovitch, Boris performed numerous times at the Montréal Jazz Festival as part of the Valentino Orchestra and other bands.

    Boris started his music journey at Jerusalem Conservatory and later graduated from McGill University. As a session musician, he composed, performed, and recorded with numerous orchestras and bands in Israel, Canada, and Ukraine. His mastery spans a range of instruments, including flutes, saxophones, keyboards, clarinet, duduk, and other woodwinds, covering repertoire from Classical to Klezmer, from New Age to Rock, Salsa, and Jazz.

    Boris performed for top government officials of several countries, TV shows, and theatrical plays, including musicals such as West Side Story and Assasins. He was featured on several internationally released albums and appeared on screen as a musician in several Hollywood feature films and music videos.

    Boris is comfortable in many styles, reinventing his talent in composition. In Ukraine, he was often dubbed “sound therapist” due to his soulful sound and distinctive improvisational style.
    Close Diana Sharp (Canada, vocal training and recording assistant) studied as an opera singer in the UK, touring with national and regional opera companies and singing with orchestras throughout England. With the trio Sirens she toured Ireland, Sweden and Italy and performed two seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with comedy trio Opera Larks.

    She’s been working with singers in all vocal disciplines for 20 years, coaching them on technique, performance, stage craft, the business of being a singer and interpretation, encouraging singers to explore their full instrument and expression. She runs Sharp Performance Singer’s Studio in Ottawa and works with international and local singers alike.
    Close Anastasia Frenkel (Canada, illustrations) is traditional artist who specializes in watercolor painting. She started painting and drawing at a very young age and now is pursuing a career in art.

    Antastasia’s artwork echoes themes of fantasy and escapism as a way to reflect on reality. Views of imaginary worlds, fantasy creatures, and representation of freedom often repeat in her work. Antastasia draws inspiration from media and mythology as well as personal experience.

    When working on “Metamorfosi”, the main concept was to create a world of wonders. A circus that draws you in with magic and technology. Themes of fantasy and steampunk are heavily present in each illustration, along with personal knowledge of the performance arts. This has been the most complex and large collaboration for Anastasia so far and the result is this collection of illustrations.
    Close Sergey Boyko (Israel, decorations, filming and editing) is a freelance photographer, mainly specializing in creative photography. Sergey was born in Germany in 1981, lived in St. Petersburg, Russia for about 30 years. He received his higher education at the University of Film and Television.

    These days Sergey lives in northern Israel with his three sons: Daniel, Leon and Michael. He has been doing photography for about 10 years, and for the last 3 years his main focus has been creative photography. Even as a child Sergey really enjoyed watching people create miniatures, but it was only in 2022 that he tried his hand at this art form. At the moment, all works are created together with his eldest son Daniel. Daniel is only fourteen years old, but this is the person who succeeds in everything he does. Main specialization: drone filming, video shooting and editing.