Makhotina Veronika Nikolaevna (Russian: Махотина Вероника Николаевна, pronounced [mɐʹxotjinə]; born 6 April 1971) is a Russian pop and jazz singer, Honoured Worker of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
She was born on April 6, 1971 in the city of Tyumen in a military family, so the Makhotins often changed their place of residence. Finally, the family settled in the village of Kedrovy in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Her father, the missile division commander, being a self-taught musician, played the bayan and accordion, guitar and piano very well. Her mother sang in the choirs of all military cities where the Makhotins lived. Veronika says that she started “giving concerts” when she was 4 and never felt embarrassed. She studied at a music school.
In 1988, she left school. In 1992, she graduated from the Krasnoyarsk School of Arts (her specialist field was Singing). From 1993 to 1998, she studied at Krasnoyarsk State Institute of Arts (since 2018 – Dmitri Hvorostovsky Siberian State Academy of Arts), Professor Natalia Petrovna Alekseeva’s class (Russian: Наталья Петровна Алексеева). According to Makhotina, her supervisor was Ekaterina Konstantinovna Iofel (Russian: Екатерина Константиновна Иофель): "She gave me advice and taught me the main thing – to sing with my heart".
During her studies at university, she worked in the choir ensemble of soloists To Thee We Sing (Russian: Тебе поемъ).
In 1998, Makhotina's work was awarded the first prize of the regional pop song contest 14-35 (Krasnoyarsk). In 1999, she received the Grand Prix of the regional pop song contest.
From the age of 20, she worked as the Big Band soloist at the concert and dance hall of the city of Krasnoyarsk. Veronika Makhotina's first professional performance took place in 1999: she appeared onstage as a jazz singer of Valery Tereshkin Jazz Ballet Group. Since 2001, she has been working at the Krasnoyarsk Regional Philharmonic as a jazz singer.
Makhotina has a rare voice timbre – contralto. She performs jazz compositions and implements various music programs and projects. For example, from 2000 to 2003, she was a soloist of Igor Dadayan Jazz Quartet. In 2001, she implemented the club project You, Night and Jazz with Andrey Igolkin (saxophone) and the project Symphojazz and Blues with the orchestra of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. Since 2001, Veronika Makhotina has been participating in the Krasnoyarsk Philharmonic annual project Jazz Stars over the Yenisey. She has performed with Eve Cornelious, Daniel Kramer, Vladimir Tolkachev, Igor Butman, Igor Bril and his sons Alexander and Dmitry, and other famous jazz musicians.
In 2003, she implemented the author's project All That Jazz, where the best jazz musicians of Krasnoyarsk took part. In 2004, Veronika launched the author's project Papa Jazz and the project Time of the Young, where she performed with young winners of jazz festivals and pop competitions. Since 2004, Makhotina has been the chairman of the jury at the city public festival Children Play Jazz.
In 2005, there was an important event in Veronika’s creative life – the project Symphojazz, where she performed with the Krasnoyarsk Academic Symphony Orchestra (the chief conductor was Mark Kadin). In December 2005, the music program New Year’s Surprises was a gift for the citizens and guests of Krasnoyarsk, where popular jazz music was performed on Russian folk instruments.
In 2006, Makhotina initiated and created a professional jazz Big Band. Veronika also became the initiator and soloist of the Jazz Night project and participated in the Cruel Romance project, where she presented to the public romances in jazz arrangement. In the same year, there was Veronika’s benefit performance bringing together the best compositions of her work.
In 2007, Makhotina, together with the choir conducted by Herman Shakhramanyan, the winner of international competitions, took part in the Jazz and Academic Choir project.
Makhotina's team tours a lot, including the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Veronika combines creative activity with pedagogical work at the Krasnoyarsk Regional Scientific and Educational Centre for Culture Personnel.
Veronika Makhotina’s name is mentioned in the encyclopedic reference Jazz in Russia.