Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 18:38, 22 December 2024

Regina Spektor
Регина Спектор
Spektor in 2009
Born	Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (1980-02-18) February 18, 1980 (age 44) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Citizenship	United States (arrived 1989)
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Years active	2001–present
Spouse	Jack Dishel ​(m. 2011)​
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Anti-folk indie-pop alternative rock
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar
Labels	Sire/Warner
Musical artist
Website	www.reginaspektor.com

Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (Russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, pronounced [rʲɪˈɡʲinə ˈspʲɛktər]; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian-born American singer, songwriter, and pianist.

After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in New York City's independent music scenes, particularly the anti-folk scene centered on New York City's East Village, Spektor signed with Sire Records in 2004 resulting in greater mainstream recognition. After giving her third album Soviet Kitsch a major label re-release, Sire released Spektor's fourth album, Begin to Hope, which achieved a Gold certification by the RIAA. Her following two albums, Far and What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, each debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200.

Mayor Bill de Blasio proclaimed June 11, 2019, Regina Spektor Day in New York City. Spektor was also inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame on May 18, 2019, by Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr.

Early life and musical beginnings

Spektor was born on February 18, 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, to a musical Russian-Jewish family. Her father, Ilya Spektor, was a photographer and amateur violinist. Her mother, Bella Spektor, was a music professor in a Soviet college of music and taught at public elementary schools in Mount Vernon, New York, now retired. Spektor has a brother, Boruch, who was featured in the track "* * *" (or "Whisper") from her 2003 album Soviet Kitsch, and who inspired the song "Bear Spektor," which has been performed live but never officially released. Growing up in Moscow, Regina started taking piano lessons when she was seven and learned how to play the piano by practicing on a Petrof upright that her grandfather gave her mother. She grew up listening to classical music and Russian bards like Vladimir Vysotsky and Bulat Okudzhava. Her father, who obtained recordings in Eastern Europe and traded cassettes with friends in the Soviet Union, also exposed her to rock and roll bands such as the Beatles, Queen, and the Moody Blues.

The family left the Soviet Union for the Bronx in 1989, when Spektor was nine and a half, during the period of Perestroika, when Soviet citizens were permitted to emigrate. She had to leave her piano behind. The seriousness of her piano studies led her parents to consider not leaving the Soviet Union, but they finally decided to emigrate due to the racial, ethnic, and political discrimination that Jewish people faced. Traveling first to Austria and then Italy, the Spektor family was admitted to the United States as refugees with the assistance of HIAS (the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society). They settled in the Bronx, where Spektor graduated from SAR Academy, a Jewish day middle school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. Since the family had been unable to bring their piano from Moscow, Spektor practiced on tabletops and other hard surfaces until she found a piano to play in the basement of her synagogue. In New York City, Spektor studied classical piano with Sonia Vargas, a professor at the Manhattan School of Music, until she was 17; Spektor's father had met Vargas through Vargas' husband, violinist Samuel Marder. Spektor attended high school for two years at the Frisch School, a yeshiva in Paramus, New Jersey, but transferred to a public school, Fair Lawn High School, in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, where she finished the last two years of her high school education.

Spektor was originally interested in classical music only, but she later grew interested in hip hop, rock, and punk as well. Although she had always made up songs around the house, she first became interested in more formal songwriting during a visit to Israel with the Nesiya Institute in her teenage years when she attracted attention from the other children on the trip for the songs she made up while hiking.

Following this trip, Spektor was exposed to the works of Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco, and other singer-songwriters, which encouraged her belief that she could create her own songs. She wrote her first a cappella songs around the age of 16 and her first songs for voice and piano when she was 17.

Spektor completed the four-year studio composition program of the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College within three years, graduating with honors in 2001. Around this time, she also worked briefly at a butterfly farm in Luck, Wisconsin, and studied in Tottenham (in North London) for one term.

Career

2001–2005: Career beginnings and Soviet Kitsch

Spektor gradually achieved recognition through performances in the anti-folk scene in downtown New York City, most prominently at the East Village's SideWalk Cafe. She also performed at local colleges (such as Sarah Lawrence College) with other musicians, including the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. She sold self-published CDs at her performances during this period: 11:11 (2001) and Songs (2002). Spektor's first nationwide tour was accompanying The Strokes as the opening act on their 2003–2004 Room on Fire tour which included performances at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. While on the tour, she and the band performed and recorded "Modern Girls & Old Fashion Men". After the tour, Kings of Leon, who were the second opening act on the tour, invited Spektor to open for them on their own European tour. In 2004, Spektor signed a contract with Warner Brothers' record label Sire Records to publish and distribute her third album Soviet Kitsch, originally self-released in 2003. In 2005, she began making her first TV appearances including guest spots on various late-night talk shows.

In June 2005, Spektor was the opening act for the English piano rock band Keane on their North American tour, during which she performed at Radio City Music Hall on June 7, 2005.

2006–2008: Begin to Hope

Spektor went on to release the album Begin to Hope on June 13, 2006. The album debuted at number 70 on the Billboard 200, and due to the popularity of the single "Fidelity", it went on to peak at number 20, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Spektor received increased attention when her video for "Fidelity" was viewed over 200,000 times in two days on YouTube. Spektor's 2006 headlining tour in support of the Begin to Hope album included back-to-back hometown shows at Town Hall Theater in New York City on September 27 and September 28, 2006. This tour was Spektor's first to feature a full backing band.

Listeners of Sirius Radio's Left of Center channel voted her single "Fidelity" as the No. 1 song of 2006. Towards the end of 2006, VH1 showcased her as part of its "You Oughta Know: Artists on the Rise" featurettes, playing clips from the "Fidelity" music video and showing parts of an interview with Spektor during commercial breaks on the channel. Spektor's video for "Fidelity" reached No. 3 on VH1's Top 20 Countdown. Spektor reached No. 33 on Blender magazine's top 100 of 2006 and was also listed as one of the "Hottest Women of Rock". On January 21, 2007, she was given an extensive feature on CBS News Sunday Morning which showcased her musical beginnings and growing popularity.

In 2007, Spektor began performing at several major music festivals including Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Virgin Festival, and Austin City Limits Music Festival. On October 1, 2007, her video for "Better" was released on VH1 and YouTube, where it received more than 100,000 views within the first 24 hours. Spektor performed acoustic at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 27, 2007.

On November 14, 2007, at her concert at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Spektor collapsed during the sound check and was taken to a local emergency room. According to the statement given to the audience, Spektor was fine, but doctors said that she could not perform that night. It was later reported that the cause of the collapse was an inner ear infection which caused intense vertigo. The show was initially rescheduled for December 6, 2007, but the date was once again rescheduled, and the concert finally occurred on February 29, 2008. After her initial collapse in Nashville, she was able to perform in concerts at Mountain Stage, in West Virginia, on November 18, 2007 (the concert was aired in September 2008), and at Duke University on November 19, 2007.

Spektor wrote the song "The Call" for the 2008 film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, which appeared prominently in the film's finale sequence. She then appeared as a guest vocalist on "You Don't Know Me", a single from Ben Folds' 2008 album, Way to Normal. In promotion for the single, the duo performed the song together on several late-night talk shows.

2009–2011: Far

Spektor's fifth album, Far, was released June 23, 2009. For the record she worked with four producers: David Kahne (who had previously worked with Spektor on Begin to Hope), Mike Elizondo, Jacknife Lee, and Jeff Lynne. The record sold 50,000 copies in its first week, entering the US Billboard 200 at number three; the record remained on the chart for 19 weeks. The album peaked at number 30 and 16 in the UK and Canada, respectively. She then headlined at Serpentine Sessions, a series of concerts at London's Hyde Park on June 29, 2009. Other European performances in 2009 included Glastonbury Festival, Hultsfred Festival, Oxegen 2009, T in the Park, Paradiso, Latitude Festival, and Rock Werchter. Spektor invited Brooklyn-based rock band Jupiter One to open concerts on her 2009 North American tour. As a part of that tour, on October 14, 2009, Spektor headlined a concert at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. On September 16, 2009, it was announced that Spektor would write the music for the musical Beauty, a modern adaptation of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, which was initially set to open during the 2011–12 Broadway season. Regina made her Saturday Night Live debut on October 10, 2009, performing "Eet" and "The Calculation" off of Far.

In May 2010, Spektor performed for Barack and Michelle Obama along with hundreds of other guests at the White House reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month. She performed "Us" and "The Sword & The Pen."

2012–2015: What We Saw from the Cheap Seats

Spektor's sixth album, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, was released May 29, 2012. Like her previous album, it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. Promotional appearances for the record included Spektor appearing on the June 7, 2012 episode of The Colbert Report where she performed "Small Town Moon" as well as "Ballad of a Politician" as online bonus content. Her world tour in support of What We Saw from the Cheap Seats included a performance in Moscow; Spektor had not returned since leaving with her family in 1989.

In 2012, Spektor was named an official "Steinway Artist"; she plays Steinway & Sons pianos almost exclusively.

Spektor wrote and recorded the main title theme song, "You've Got Time", for the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, which premiered in July 2013. It was nominated in the Best Song Written for Visual Media category at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.

2016–2021: Remember Us to Life

Spektor announced her seventh album, Remember Us to Life on July 21, 2016, through her email newsletter. The album was released on September 30, 2016. The first single, "Bleeding Heart", was released July 22, 2016. The follow-up single, "Small Bill$", was released August 11, 2016. Regina Spektor performed George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", released August 5, 2016, for the film Kubo and the Two Strings.

In 2016, Spektor was one of the artists featured on The Hamilton Mixtape; she sings a remix of "Dear Theodosia" with Ben Folds.

In 2017, Spektor was featured as a guest singer on the title track to Gypsy-punk band Gogol Bordello's studio album Seekers and Finders. Spektor was also featured as a guest vocalist on Odesza's song "Just A Memory" from their album A Moment Apart.

On November 8, 2018, Spektor released a new song entitled "Birdsong", written specially for an episode of the Amazon Prime series The Romanoffs.

On March 25, 2019, Spektor announced she would be bringing her music to Broadway as the Artist in Residency at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre for five performances June 20–26, 2019.

On July 26, 2019, Spektor released an acoustic version of her own song "You've Got Time", coinciding with the release of the seventh and final season of Orange Is the New Black. The song is featured in the final episode of the series.

In late 2019, Spektor released a new song, "Walking Away", for Amazon Prime Original Series Modern Love.

2022–present: Home, Before and After

On February 22, 2022, Spektor announced her eighth studio album Home, Before and After with a June 24 release date, alongside the release of the album's lead single "Becoming All Alone". Recorded in upstate New York, the album was produced by Spektor and John Congleton.

She performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert on 5 August 2022, including "Becoming All Alone" from her new album as well as tunes from past releases such as "Fidelity" and "Samson".

Artistry

Spektor's primary instrument is the piano, and she plays the guitar as a secondary instrument, primarily playing on a seafoam Epiphone Wildkat archtop hollow-body electric guitar for live performances.

Spektor has said that she has created a great number of songs but rarely writes any of them down. Spektor's songs are not usually autobiographical but are based on scenarios and characters drawn from her imagination. Her songs show influences from folk, punk, rock, Jewish, Russian, hip hop, jazz, and classical music. Spektor has said that she works hard to ensure that each of her songs has its own musical style, rather than trying to develop a distinctive style for her music as a whole: "It doesn't feel natural for me to write some diary type song. I want to write a classic like "Yesterday" but weird songs about meatballs in refrigerators come into my head – I can't help it."

Spektor performs using a broad vocal range, with a falsetto extension, but without any apparent break. She explores a variety of different and somewhat unorthodox vocal techniques, such as verses composed entirely of buzzing noises made with the lips and beatbox-style flourishes in the middle of ballads, and also makes use of such unusual musical techniques as using a drum stick to tap rhythms on the body of a chair. Part of her style also results from the exaggeration of certain aspects of vocalization, most notably the glottal stop, prominent in the single "Fidelity". She also uses a strong New York accent on some words, which she has said is due to her love of New York and its culture.

Spektor usually sings in English, though she sometimes includes a few words or verses of Latin, Russian, French, or other languages. She plays with pronunciations, which she told NPR was a remnant of her early years when she listened to pop in English without understanding the lyrics.

Her lyrics are equally eclectic, often taking the form of abstract narratives or first-person character studies, similar to short stories or vignettes put to song. Some of Spektor's lyrics include literary allusions, such as: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway in "Poor Little Rich Boy"; The Little Prince in "Baobabs"; Virginia Woolf and Margaret Atwood in "Paris"; Ezra Pound and The Merchant of Venice in "Pound of Flesh"; Boris Pasternak in "Après Moi"; Samson and Delilah in "Samson"; Oedipus Rex in "Oedipus"; Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome in "2.99¢ Blues". Recurring themes and topics in Spektor's lyrics include love, death, religion (particularly biblical and Jewish references), city life (particularly New York references), and certain key phrases which recur in different songs, such as references to gravediggers, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the name "Mary Ann". Spektor's use of satire is evident in "Wasteside", which refers to The Twelve Chairs, the classic satirical novel by the Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, and describes the town in which people are born, get their hair cut, and then are sent to the cemetery.

Spektor's first album, 11:11, was recorded and self-released while she was still in college. It differs from Spektor's later releases as she was heavily influenced by blues and jazz at the time of its recording. Her second album, Songs, was recorded on Christmas Day, 2001. Each song was recorded with just one take and is entirely acoustic. The session from which the album was derived was not originally intended as an album recording session. Her third album, Soviet Kitsch, featured strings on several songs and was her first to feature a full rock band. Upon signing with a major label – which provided a bigger budget for production and studio time – Spektor began to emphasise production and more prominently use traditional pop and rock instruments.

Spektor says the records that most impact her are those of "bands whose music is really involved". She cites the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, Madonna, Eminem, Kate Bush, Rufus Wainwright, David Bowie, the Ramones, Patti Smith, Billie Holiday, Radiohead, Tom Waits, and Frédéric Chopin as prime influences.

British singer Kate Nash said, "I related to her because she's a woman who plays the piano and writes imaginative songs. I've played the piano since I was about seven but I'd never seen it as an instrument for pop music. Regina Spektor made the piano cool… I love the fact that her accent shines through. When I started making music, it inspired me to sing the way I talk, because that's what's real."

Appearances in the media

This section is in list format but may read better as prose. You can help by converting this section, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (November 2023)

Since 2005, Spektor's music has been used in various television programs and commercials.

• In late 2005, "Us" (from Soviet Kitsch) was used in a commercial as part of the What Do You Want To Watch? series for the United Kingdom's British Sky Broadcasting, and in the summer of 2006, a clip from the same song was used for the teaser website for Microsoft's Zune project at ComingZune.com, as well as for a promotional campaign for MtvU, and by Dutch telecom company KPN in a commercial.
• "Fidelity" was used in the trailer for the 2007 film 27 Dresses.
• Spektor sang the title song "Little Boxes" of Showtime's television series Weeds in the episode "Mile Deep and a Foot Wide" (2006) and her "Ghost of Corporate Future" was used both at the beginning and end of the episode.
• Regina wrote and recorded "You've Got Time" to be the theme song for the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black which premiered in 2013. Spektor was approached by the show's creator, Jenji Kohan, to create the opening number.
• Spektor wrote and recorded "Birdsong" featuring guitarist Atticus McKittrick for Amazon's The Romanoffs.
• Spektor wrote and recorded "Walking Away" for Amazon's Modern Love.
• Spektor wrote and recorded "One Little Soldier" for the 2019 film Bombshell.
• Spektor wrote and recorded "The Call" for the 2008 film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

Personal life

Spektor is fluent in Russian and reads Hebrew. She has described herself as "very Russian Jewish". She has paid tribute to her Russian heritage, quoting the poem "February" by the Russian poet Boris Pasternak in her song "Après Moi", and stated that she is "very connected to the language and the culture." Spektor and her family did not return home to Moscow until July 2012, when she toured through Russia in support of her sixth album What We Saw from the Cheap Seats. In a 2016 interview on NPR, Spektor discussed how her experiences and struggles as an immigrant youth in New York contributed to the album Remember Us to Life, which title is a phrase from the Yom Kippur liturgy (זכרינו לחיים) that she encountered while pregnant. She has also frequently paid tribute to her Jewish identity and talked about the antisemitism she experienced.

Spektor was vegetarian for a time until she toured with the Strokes, who frequently dined on steak. She married singer-songwriter Jack Dishel in 2011. Formerly a guitarist with the band the Moldy Peaches, Dishel performs as Only Son, and duets with Spektor in the song "Call Them Brothers". They have two children.

Political views

Spektor considers herself politically liberal and admires former President of the United States Barack Obama. She said that Obama's initial opposition to same-sex marriage was "as embarrassing as white-only drinking fountains". Her song "Fidelity" was used in a campaign against Proposition 8, which sought to ban same-sex marriage in California. She deplored the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States in 2016.

Spektor is a supporter of Israel and performed at a ceremony at the National Mall celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2008. She has denounced what she views as double standards about Israel in the media. She is a critic of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, stating that "y not playing in Israel, you're punishing the wrong people." She has performed in Israel on several occasions herself. She also expressed support for the country amidst various escalations of the Arab–Israeli conflict, especially during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.

Philanthropy

In 2007, Spektor covered John Lennon's "Real Love" for Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. The following year, she participated in Songs for Tibet, an initiative in support of human rights in Tibet and the 14th Dalai Lama. The album was issued on August 5, 2008, via iTunes and on August 19 in music stores around the world. On January 22, 2009, Spektor performed at the third annual Roe on the Rocks gig at the Bowery Ballroom to raise money for Planned Parenthood New York City. Also, continuing with her support for Tibet, Regina Spektor played for Tibet House's annual concert at Carnegie Hall on February 26, 2010. Less than one month later, on March 23, 2010, Spektor gave a concert at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza in New York City to raise funds for the work of Médecins Sans Frontières in Haiti. Also, on April 27, she released a cover of Radiohead's song "No Surprises", for which all proceeds went to Médecins Sans Frontières to help earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile. In February 2012, Spektor did a benefit concert at Rose Hall for HIAS (a beneficiary agency of UJA-Federation of New York), an organization that helped a young Spektor and her family emigrate from the Soviet Union. Spektor also has taken part in several memorial and benefit concerts for the family of Dan Cho, her former cellist who died while on tour with her in 2010.

Discography

• 11:11 (2001)
• Songs (2002)
• Soviet Kitsch (2004)
• Begin to Hope (2006)
• Far (2009)
• What We Saw from the Cheap Seats (2012)
• Remember Us to Life (2016)
• Home, Before and After (2022)

Awards and nominations

MVPA Awards

Other awards

• 2019 Bronx Walk of Fame

References

1. ^ "Regina Spektor: On Growing Up A 'Soviet Kid'". NPR. August 27, 2012.
2. ^ Smith, Stewart (May 26, 2005). "Regina Spektor: Soviet Kitsch". Tweed Magazine.
3. "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database". RIAA. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
4. Matozzo, Marissa (June 12, 2019). "Watch NYC Honor Regina Spektor with Her Own Official Day". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
5. Wirsing, Robert (May 26, 2019). "Bronxites Have A Ball At Bronx Ball Gala". Bronx Times. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
6. "Regina Spektor | Biography, News, Photos and Videos". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
7. "Regina Spektor: 'I See My Family ... In Everybody'". NPR. October 3, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
8. Harris, Ben (April 2, 2012). "Amid mainstream success, Regina Spektor stays true to Jewish roots". JTA - Jewish news. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
9. Torok, Ryan (December 8, 2010). "Regina Spektor goes live". Jewish Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
10. Budnick, Dean (January 4, 2017). "Parting Shots: Regina Spektor". Relix. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
11. ^ "Soundcheck (2004-11-18) "Hot Hot Hot"". New York Public Radio. (Direct MP3 URL (archived June 2, 2018)
12. TheSpektography (April 11, 2012). regina spektor - Bear Spektor (Live). Retrieved September 18, 2024 – via YouTube.
13. "Bear Spektor". Spektor's Thesaurus. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
14. Schulman, Michael (June 20, 2019). "Regina Spektor Tunes Up for Broadway". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
15. Sturges, Fiona (July 2, 2009). "Regina Spektor – Refugee from Soviet kitsch". The Independent. Archived from the original on February 8, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
16. ^ Aizlewood, John (August 24, 2006). "Regina Spektor: A Triumph That Began With Hope". thislondon.co.uk. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008.
17. Wiseman, Eva (November 13, 2016). "Regina Spektor: 'The only reason I'm Jewish is antisemitism'". The Guardian. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
18. Eliscu, Jenny (July 9, 2009). "New York's Screwball Pop Queen". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
19. ^ "Soundcheck interview: From Russia with Love". New York Public Radio. September 12, 2005. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved June 2, 2018. (MP3 Download archived 2018-06-03)
20. Roeschlein, Shane (March 25, 2005). "Regina Spektor: The Red Princess". themusicedge.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2006.
21. Mason, Wyatt (May 17, 2012). "Regina Spektor Has Piano, Will Travel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
22. Bloom, Nate. "Noshes: Worth Checking Out", The Jewish Standard, June 29, 2007. "Spektor, 27, is far better known... She went to middle school yeshiva in New York and, for her first two years in high school, she went to the Frisch School in Paramus. She graduated from Fair Lawn High School."
23. Thomas, Rob (October 12, 2006). "Versatile Regina Spektor floats among her song stories". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved June 3, 2018.(subscription required)
24. Spevak, Jeff (July 31, 2023). "The pop and peculiarity of Regina Spektor". CITY Magazine (Rochester, NY). Retrieved August 15, 2023.
25. ^ Llewellyn Smith, Caspar (May 12, 2012). "Regina Spektor: 'Art comes from a different place'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
26. "Regina Spektor Tells a Guy To Fuck Off". Music Snobbery. June 7, 2005. Archived from the original on April 29, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
27. "Regina Spektor @ Town Hall: Moscow on the Hudson". Music Snobbery. September 28, 2006. Archived from the original on September 2, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
28. "New Music Artists Info on You Oughta Know, Rising New Artists, See Photos & Watch Videos Online". VH1. Archived from the original on November 23, 2006.
29. Errico, Mike (December 2006). "Hottest Women of... Rock!". Blender. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007.
30. ^ Orloff, Brian (October 21, 2007). "Regina Spektor's Boundless Talent". CBS News.
31. Friskics-Warren, Bill (November 14, 2007). "Spektor rushed to the hospital before Ryman show". The Tennessean.
32. "Ryman Auditorium | Nashville, TN | Music Venue, Concerts, Events". Ryman.com. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
33. "Mountain Stage Archives: September 19, 2008, Regina Spektor". West Virginia Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Includes link to Playlist for Week after September 19, 2008, indicating that the original show date was November 18, 2007.
34. "Regina Spektor on Mountain Stage". NPR Music. September 22, 2008. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
35. Lawrence, Christopher (November 20, 2007). "Regina Spektor Collapses". American Songwriter. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
36. "The Call - Regina Spektor". Pandora.com. July 15, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
37. Jones, Kenneth (September 16, 2009). "Regina Spektor Will Pen Music for Landau's Grimm-Inspired Beauty Musical". Playbill. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009.
38. "Watch: Regina Spektor On The Colbert Report". Prefix Magazine. June 8, 2012. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015. (videos appear to not work)
39. Colbert, Stephen (July 6, 2012). "The Colbert Report July 6, 2012". The Colbert Report. Comedy Central. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)(transcript available at )
40. Colbert, Stephen (June 7, 2012). "The Colbert Report June 7, 2012". Daily Motion. Retrieved June 2, 2018. (full video, interview clip at 11:37)
41. ^ Chernov, Sergei (July 11, 2012). "Soviet-Born Star Regina Spektor Returns to Moscow - Arts and Ideas". The Moscow Times. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
42. "Singer Songwriter Regina Spektor Joins Steinway Artist Roster". Steinway & Sons.
43. Pirnia, Garin (August 1, 2013). "Regina Spektor: My 'Orange Is the New Black' Theme 'Really Fits' Archived 2017-08-08 at the Wayback Machine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
44. "First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Regina Spektor". The GRAMMYs. December 2, 2014.
45. "Remember Us To Life CD". Warner Music Store.
46. Reed, Ryan (August 5, 2016). "Hear Regina Spektor's Haunting 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' Cover". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
47. Gerard, Jeremy (December 1, 2016). "'Hamilton' World Dominance Continues With Questlove, Regina Spektor 'Mixtape' Launch". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
48. Kaye, Ben (July 10, 2017). "Gogol Bordello share new single "Walking on the Burning Coal": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
49. Reed, Ryan (November 9, 2018). "Hear Regina Spektor's Meditative New 'Birdsong'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
50. McPhee, Ryan (March 25, 2019). "Regina Spektor to Play Broadway's New Concert Residency Series". Playbill. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
51. Jones, Abby (February 22, 2022). "Regina Spektor Announces New Album, Shares "Becoming All Alone": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
52. Boilen, Bob (August 5, 2022). "Regina Spektor: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
53. "Imagine A Female Singer Songwriter For The Strokes Generation". Epiphone.com. April 6, 2005. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
54. Orloff, Brian (March 15, 2006). "Regina Spektor's Got New "Hope"". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
55. ^ Alonzo, Rod (2003). "Making Stuff Up: An Interview With Regina Spektor". WOMANROCK.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2005.
56. ^ Murphy, John (January 16, 2006). "Regina Spektor – Mary Ann Meets The Gravediggers (review)". musicOMH. Archived from the original on December 14, 2006.
57. Bridge, Colette (July 2006). "Nottingham Music: Paolo Nutini / Peaches / Regina Spektor: Tis the period of the singer / songwriter". BBC – Nottingham. Archived from the original on February 28, 2007.
58. Holub, Annie (November 2, 2006). "Spectral Musings: Six lines that will make you fall in love with Regina Spektor". Tucson Weekly.
59. "Regina Spektor in Concert". NPR. October 3, 2006.
60. Rolling Stone magazine issue 694, September 2009. "New York Screwball Pop Queen" by Jenny Eliscu, page18.
61. ^ Block, Melissa (June 28, 2006). "Stories in Song: Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope". National Public Radio – All Things Considered. Archived from the original on June 30, 2006. MP3 audio download linked from archived copy)
62. "Carátula Interior Frontal de Regina Spektor - 11:11 - Portada". Coveralia.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
63. ^ Murray, Noel (June 21, 2006). "Interviews | Regina Spektor". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007.
64. Vaziri, Aidin (October 25, 2009). "A guide to Regina Spektor's album 'Far'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
65. Visakowitz, Susan (January 13, 2007). "Spectacular Spektor: Slow-Building Promo Campaign Driving Sire Disc". Billboard.biz. Archived from the original on June 25, 2007.
66. "Women in music". Q. No. 262. May 2008. p. 105.
67. "27 Dresses Movie Trailer". Slash Film. October 3, 2007. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
68. "Music from the hit series, Weeds". Showtime. Archived from the original on October 2, 2009.
69. Spiegel, Amy Rose (August 1, 2013). "How Regina Spektor Wrote The "Orange Is The New Black" Theme Song". BuzzFeed.
70. ^ Caramanica, Jon (June 1, 2006). "Piano Woman". New York Magazine. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
71. Brown, Helen (July 1, 2012). "Regina Spektor interview: 'Writing songs makes me so happy'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
72. _ReginaSpektor_ (October 5, 2016). "I'm Regina Spektor! Ask me anything!". r/IAmA. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
73. "Regina Spektor: 'I See My Family ... In Everybody'". NPR. October 3, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
74. Wiseman, Eva (November 13, 2016). "Regina Spektor: 'The only reason I'm Jewish is antisemitism'". The Guardian. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
75. ^ Potton, Ed (November 21, 2016). "Illness, politics, ageing — all to a jaunty tune. Meet a new kind of pop star". The Times. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
76. ^ Harris, Ben (April 6, 2012). "Amid mainstream success, Regina Spektor stays true to Jewish roots". The Times of Israel. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
77. "10 Things You Didn't Know about Regina Spektor". July 5, 2019.
78. Lynskey, Dorian (June 12, 2022). "Regina Spektor: 'Songs are my byproduct in this world. I leave a trail of them'". The Observer. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
79. Light, Alan (June 17, 2009). "New Angles for a Woman of Many Sides". The New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
80. Garrison, Jessica (March 5, 2009). "Gay couples hold vigils urging justices to end Prop. 8". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
81. ^ Starr, Michael (August 11, 2022). "Singer Regina Spektor supports Israel during Operation Breaking Dawn". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
82. Baylen, Ashley (May 9, 2013). "Regina Spektor heading to Israel". Ynetnews. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
83. Stern, Itay (August 20, 2017). "Regina Spektor's Israel Concert Took Off When She Lost Control". Haaretz. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
84. Bogen, Amir (November 6, 2023). "Regina Spektor blasts Björk over pro-Palestine post". Ynetnews. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
85. E-Online (July 22, 2008) Sting, Matthews, Mayer Gamer for Tibet Than Beijing Archived July 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
86. "Regina Spektor to play Planned Parenthood benefit". NME. nme.com. November 17, 2008. Retrieved 2017-04-16.
87. "HIAS Announces Benefit Concert Featuring Regina Spektor at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center". HIAS. January 6, 2012. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
88. Belkin, Lisa (August 19, 2010). "Helping a Toddler Grieve". The New York Times.
89. Regina Spektor breaks down on stage. YouTube. July 10, 2010. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
90. "groovevolt.com -| general - category 1 |- 2006 Groovevolt.com Music & Fashion Awards". Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
91. "Regina Spektor". Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
92. ""Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood," "Queen & Slim," "Bombshell" Among Feature Winners At Guild of Music Supervisors Awards". SHOOT Online. February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Regina Spektor at IMDb
• "Stories in Song: Regina Spektor's 'Begin to Hope'". Interview on All Things Considered, NPR, 28 June 2006
• "Regina Spektor", by Katie Cook (Strangers Almanac column, Volume 27), Glide Magazine, 1 July 2009
• Siegel, Robert (May 24, 2012). "Regina Spektor Still Doesn't Write Anything Down (Interview)". All Things Considered. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2018. (MP3 audio download linked from archived copy)

• 1980 births
• Living people
• 21st-century American Jews
• 21st-century American pianists
• 21st-century American singer-songwriters
• 21st-century American women guitarists
• 21st-century American women pianists
• 21st-century American women singers
• Activists from New York (state)
• American folk-pop singers
• American LGBTQ rights activists
• American mezzo-sopranos
• American people of Russian-Jewish descent
• American women singer-songwriters
• Fair Lawn High School alumni
• Frisch School alumni
• Guitarists from New Jersey
• Guitarists from New York City
• Jazz musicians from New York (state)
• Jewish American musicians
• Jewish anti-folk musicians
• Jewish jazz musicians
• Jewish singers
• Musicians from the Bronx
• Musicians from Moscow
• People from Fair Lawn, New Jersey
• Russian emigrants to the United States
• Russian expatriates in Austria
• Russian expatriates in Italy
• Russian Jews
• Russian women musicians
• Singer-songwriters from New Jersey
• Singer-songwriters from New York (state)
• Singers from New York City
• Sire Records artists
• Soviet emigrants to the United States
• Soviet Jews
• State University of New York at Purchase alumni
• American women punk rock singers
• American Zionists