Billy Novik

Billy Novik is a musician, songwriter, public figure, and one of the most charismatic personalities on the Saint Petersburg cultural scene. As the founder of the cult band Billy’s Band, the creator of the «romantic alco-jazz» genre, and a dedicated advocate for jazz culture, he has become a definitive voice of the city’s musical identity.

A native of Leningrad, Novik took an unconventional path to the stage. After graduating from the Pediatric Medical Institute and serving three years as a forensic pathologist, he made a radical career shift in 2001 by forming Billy’s Band. Since then, his signature raspy vocals and the silhouette of his double bass have become iconic symbols of Saint Petersburg’s nightlife.

Today, Billy Novik’s creative output spans several distinct worlds:

• Billy’s Band: A legendary group celebrating the romance of city outskirts, midnight bars, and late-night philosophy.
• Petersburg Jazz Activists: A solo project uniting the city’s top jazz virtuosos. Here, Novik interprets classic jazz standards, often initiating their creative «localization» for the Russian audience.
• The Songs of Egor Letov: A stripped-back, heartfelt program paying tribute to the genius of the Grazhdanskaya Oborona leader, performed with raw sincerity and devoid of theatricality.

Billy Novik does more than perform; he builds ecosystems. He is:

• The Founder of The Hat, a legendary jazz bar ranked among the Top 150 jazz venues in the world;
• The Creator of the Big Jam festival;
• Co-founder of the Jazz in the Big City community and the Musical Director of the theatrical production This is Petersburg, Baby!.

A recipient of the Golden Sophit (Saint Petersburg’s highest theatrical award), Billy Novik stands as a chief advocate for jazz as a living, breathing, and accessible art form, continuing to write the modern history of Saint Petersburg through his music and books.