Johanna Grüssner

Jazz Vocalist from Åland Islands, Finland

The first one to tell the story about Johanna Grüssner's heartfelt commitments for the music education of Bronx children is the New York Times reporter Anemona Hartocollis, and her book Seven Days of Possibilities. Johanna Grüssner arrived in New York City in 1996 to study for her Master's Degree at Manhattan School of Music. She had just completed her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education at Berklee. After graduation from Manhattan School in 1998, she obtained a job teaching music at P.S. 86, a public school in the Bronx. Over the course of several years, Johanna formed an intense, transformative connection with her students, and eventually took her 24-piece children's gospel chorus to her hometown in rural Finland, to meet her family and friends. Word spread about Johanna's mission and accomplishments. Three first page stories in the New York Times and several visits at U.S. national morning TV-shows gave Johanna and her mission rapid and unpredicted publicity. Johanna Grüssner, the vocal stylist, has recorded several CDs. Her most ambitious and compelling vocal work can be heard on Moomin Voices. This CD is the entire catalogue of songs from the Moomin-stories by the legendary Finnish author, Tove Jansson.

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