Polina Shepherd was born in Siberia and grew up in a home where songs were regularly sung around the family table. Now an internationally renowned singer, she brings the songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl up to date with passion and haunting soul. Her singing, though based on traditional forms, cuts a sound deeply rooted in east European Jewish and Russian folk. Growing up in Tatarstan also placed her close to Islamic ornamentation and timbre, which can be heard in her unique vocal style and four-octave range.

As a solo performer she presents traditional songs from Eastern European cultures and a variety of original songs. She has toured with her solo show Songs of the Steppes and the Shtetl in Russia, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium and Brazil. Her latest collaborations include Sklamberg & the Shepherds (Russia-USA-UK) who blend Klezmer and southern Mediterranean Music featuring a UK leading klezmer Merlin Shepherd; The Stranniki with an “avant bard” Psoy Korolenko (Russia/US): a take on the Wandering Jew and the Russian Vagabond; and The Izba, the Shtibl and the Global Village: A melange of Russian and Yiddish songs with the lead singer of the Grammy winning Klezmatics Lorin Sklamberg (NYC).