“…Utilising her full vocal range and putting in a virtuoso performance on cello, accompanied only by accordian. Is this folk? It’s mixed with classical, but yes it’s folk, most certainly: Grzesik sang of her Polish Grandmother’s numerous ploys to discourage her family from moving away from home; ranged through intimate tales, both emotional & mature, tossed in jaunty escapades; and sang in English and Polish. It was nicely varied and consequently never boring…. I should mention her voice – a sumptuous but delicate soprano which scales, sometimes violently, but to good effect, to a forceful almost ‘rock’ vocal.” – Zaph Mann, Oregon Public Broadcasting Harnessing her rousing vocals and whimsical, gutsy cello lines, Ashia Grzesik creates songs with elements of cabaret, folk, pop, and dark americana. Her songs and writing reflect longing for her Slavic roots with Chopineasque and gypsy musings and the blues, rock, and open harmonies of the New World. After training in classical cello and voice, Ashia’s career started for what usually is the end for many artists- a show on the Las Vegas strip. At the age of 21, she was invited to play cello and sing at Cirque du Soleil's production of "O" in Vegas. Within this backwards birth, the experience with aerialists, dancers, physical actors, and circus performers infected her with a strong interest in theatrical and cabaret performance. Upon leaving "O", she recorded the CD “Pay to be Loved” and continued to perform, including in Seattle's vaudeville Moisture Festival and many artistically liberating shows. Ashia has performed Nationally, as well as Canada, Japan, Germany, Hong Kong, and her birth city Wroclaw, Poland in the theatrical song festival Przeglad Piosenki Aktorskie. Only about a year or two ago, her heart was wooed to the raw and rainy Pacific NW city Portland, OR, where she extensively writes, performs solo works and her talents in operatic vocals, gypsy cello soloing, and theatrics are continuously stretched in the bohemian-cabaret band Vagabond Opera. Recently, she played a principal role in the sold out premier run of the Queen of Knives opera written by Eric Stern. Also, she wrote folk inspired cello incidental music for the production of The Gray Sisters, by award winning Third Rail Theater, which she received a Drammy for best original music 2009-10. Being a part of the wonderful community being The Portland Cello Project, she has collaborated with the likes of Loch Lomond, Storm Large, Laura Gibson, and Y la Bamba. Ashia’s performances vary from the theatrical cabaret, rowdy eastern euro bars, sit-down concert halls, and keen little dives intended for acoustic intimacy and subtlety. What else could become of a Polish immigrant with a whiskey lovin’ blues singer father and a classical music ballet devoted mother, but a cello score writing, skinny leggin burlesqueing, opera misfit, wide eyed feet on the floor mesh of cello and song?