Roman Miroshnichenko

Roman Maksimovich Miroshnichenko (Russian: Роман Максимович Мирошниченко) (born June 4, 1977) is a Ukrainian-born Russian multi-award winning jazz fusion guitarist, composer, and record producer. He has received numerous accolades, including four The Independent Music Awards, 1st Prize of the USA Songwriting Competition and 1st Prize of the International Acoustic Music Awards.

Roman Miroshnichenko was born on June 4, 1977, in Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukrainian SSR, USSR. On the maternal ancestors line comes from Terek Cossacks with Baltic and Swedish roots. His father, Maxim Miroshnichenko, is an arranger, band leader and saxophone/clarinet player. Roman Miroshnichenko started playing guitar in his early teens. He was a member of his father's big band from 1994 to 1999. He studied engineering at Dnipro National University of Rail Transport, and then studied jazz guitar at the Moscow State Art and Cultural University.

Roman Miroshnichenko was heavily influenced by John McLaughlin, Paco De Lucia, Larry Coryell and Al Di Meola. In 2002, he founded his own band, RMProject, and has been touring in Russia, Europe, Asia, and the United States.

He has worked with musicians such as Steve Vai, Al Di Meola, Marco Mendoza, Paul Wertico, Jennifer Batten, Heather Headley, Djivan Gasparyan, Dominique DiPiazza, to name a few, during his career. Formerly, he played in a duo with fusion guitarist Larry Coryell.

In 2009, Roman Miroshnicheko has released his solo album "Temptation", featuring 2-time Latin Grammy winner Daniel Figueiredo, Frank Colon, ex-sax player for Manfred Mann Chapter Three Clive Stevens, and Henrik Andersen, among others. The album's single "Unforgiven"won both the standard and People's Choice popular-vote judging at the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards, in the song category "World Traditional."

In 2010 the album "Temptation" itself was nominated at the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards, in the category "World Beat."

In 2013, Roman Miroshnichenko has released his next one album, titled "Surreal", produced together with Daniel Figueiredo and featuring Larry Coryell, Dominique Di Piazza, Mario Olivares, Josquin des Pres and Argentinian pianist Mario Parmisano. The album's single "Desperation" recorded in duo with Parmisano won 1st prize at the 18th Annual USA Songwriting Competition.

In April 2013, HalLeonardBooks (one of the biggest US publishing houses) released “TheGreatJazzGuitarists” encyclopedia, the most comprehensive guide to jazz guitarists ever published (from Django Reinhardt to Les Paul, Jeff Beck and beyond) with information about Roman Miroshnichenko.

In 2014, Steve Vai with Roman Miroshnichenko's rock-band and the 80-piece Russian Philharmonic performed in Russia. Next year, double disc DVD “Stillness in Motion: Vai Live in L.A.Stillness In Motion" was released with a bonus disc premiering “The Space Between the Notes", a revelatory video diary consisting of more than three and a half hours of footage, lensed around the world on-stage, off-stage and behind-the-scenes, rehearsal and the show moments of Steve's joint performance with Roman Miroshnichenko and orchestra during Vai’s "Story of Light" World Tour.

In 2015 "War & Peace", The Opera was presented at the World Of Guitar Festival in Russia. It was written by Larry Coryell, featuring The Russian Philharmonic Orchestra with the Roman Miroshnichenko jazz trio and the Slovenian Academy of Music (Ljubljana) vocal octet.

In 2016, Roman Miroshnichenko formed the World of Guitar Trio with Henrik Andersen and José Antonio Rodríguez. Their album Perfect Strangers won the "Best Instrumental Album" award at the 15th Annual Independent Music Awards. "Moon over Tanjore," a song from the album, won the award for Best World Traditional Song, while Miroshnichenko's "Alien's Dream" was nominated for Best Instrumental Song.

In late 2016, Roman Miroshnichenko joined the judging panel of the 16th Annual Independent Music Awards program, along with Tom Waits, Slayer, Sepultura, and others.

Since 2017, Roman Miroshnichenko is an international projects director of the annual World of Guitar festival, held in Kaluga, Russia. In May 2017, at the festival's opening, Larry Coryell's last opera, based on Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina, was presented, featuring the Moscow Symphony along with Miroshnichenko, Serbian classical guitarist Nenad Stephanovich, and Slovenian opera soloists. The world premiere was dedicated to Coryell, the "godfather of fusion," who died in New York in February of that year. The opera was completed by Miroshnichenko and Stephanovich after the death of Coryell.

In April 2017, Roman Miroshnichenko joined The Trip Show project together with bass player Julie Slick (Adrian Belew Power Trio), the drummer Morgan Ågren (Steve Vai, Glenn Hughes, Tony Iommi, Frank Zappa) and Canadian vocalist Matt Laurent.

In October 2017, Roman Miroshnichenko released a new album, "Ascension," featuring Grammy-winning violinist Charlie Bisharat, Mario Parmisano, renown United States musicians percussionist Luis Alicea and keyboardist Aron Ferrer, Danish virtuoso guitarist Henrik Andersen, and world-class percussionist Gumbi Ortiz. The album has earned a nomination in the “Best Instrumental Album” category at the 16th Annual Independent Music Awards. Two compositions from "Ascension" made Finalists of The UK Songwriting Contest and USA Songwriting Competition as well.

In 2018 he toured with the ex-guitarist for Michael Jackson - band member of all three of his world tours - Jennifer Batten. In late 2018, Roman Miroshnichenko joined the judging panel of the 17th Annual Independent Music Awards program, along with Tom Waits, Robert Smith, Paquito D'Rivera, Lee Ann Womack, Todd Rundgren, and others.

In late 2018 Roman recorded flamenco-guitar parts for Frank Colon's album Latin Lounge. Take Effect magazine editor commented on the release: "Certainly one of the most accomplished records in the area of Latin Jazz in recent history, Colon and company blend diverse musical backgrounds here seamlessly."

In 2019 Roman was one of the presenters of the 17th Annual IMA ceremony at the Symphony Space Performing Arts Center in New York City. Also this year he toured with: jazz drummer Paul Wertico, who gained recognition as a member of the Pat Metheny Group, the ex-bass guitarist for John McLaughlin Trio - Dominique Di Piazza and with Marco Mendoza trio (as special guest) - ex-bass guitarist for Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy.

In 2020, once again, Roman Miroshnichenko joined the judging panel of the 18th Annual Independent Music Awards program, along with Tom Waits, Robert Smith, Joe Satriani, Ziggy Marley, The Cardigans, Mick Ralphs, Roberta Flack, John Petrucci, Carl Palmer, Gloria Gaynor and others.

In February 2020, Roman Miroshnichenko won 1st prize at the 16th Annual International Acoustic Music Awards.

In May 2020, Roman has collaborated on a project by Pakistani music producer Kashan Admani, featuring Simon Philips, Stu Hamm, Charlie Bisharat, Palash Sen, Matt Laurent, Gumbi Ortiz.

Roman Miroshnichenko owns custom guitars made for him by Paul Reed Smith, Abraham Wechter, Gibson and Ovation Guitar Company.

As leader

• The Infinity (2005)
• Temptation (2009)
• Quasipsychedelic, (2011)
• Surreal (2013)
• Ascension (2017)

Joint albums

• Together (2007)
• Perfect Strangers, World of Guitar Trio (2015)

Compilation albums

• Instrumental Collection. Best Russia's guitarists. (JRC, 2002)
• The Best Of. GuitaROMANtic. Roman Miroshnichenko (Gazprom expo, 2012)
• New Music Now. Vol.11. The Winners of the 18th USA Songwriting competition (2014)
• Pan Global Electro Lounge. Vol.2. Feat.: John Abercrombie, Ralph Towner, Roman Miroshnichenko, Clive Stevens, Michael Carvin, Dave Johnson, Raúl Ramirez, Roy Venkataraman. (PLANET 8 RECORDS, 2014)
• Now Hear This! Various Artists. The Winners of The 15th Independent Music Awards. (2016)
• Anthology. Top 10 Songs Of 10 Years. Roman Miroshnichenko (2019)

As special guest

• Poetic: Jazz Theater. Gariman Volnov. Feat.: Marco Mendoza, Larry Coryell, Joel Taylor, Mario Parmisano, Joey Heredia, Renato Neto (2012)
• One Eye On the Highway. Elizabeth MacInnis (2013)
• Bridges: A Musical Journey. Igor Ledermann (2014)
• Radio Nostalgia II. Mario Olivares (2016)
• Latin Lounge. Frank Colon (2019)

As sideman

• Stillness in Motion - The Space Between The Notes. Steve Vai, DVD (SME, 2015)

Other

• All Your Life. Al Di Meola. CD cover photographer credits. (Veliene, 2013)