Bio

Mikailo Kasha is an award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader based in Miami, Florida. Currently considered to be among “the top 1% of bassists worldwide”, as stated by Scotty Barnhart of the Count Basie Orchestra, Kasha is a dynamic bandleader, versatile sideman, and a prodigious voice on both upright and electric bass.

Originally hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area, Kasha is an alumnus of prestigious incubator programs like SFJazz High School All Stars, San Jose Jazz All Stars, and the Stanford Jazz Institute. He holds a Bachelor’s in Music from Florida State University, where he studied under bassist Rodney Jordan and pianist Marcus Roberts. As a participant in exclusive music workshops worldwide, Kasha has received mentorship from masters like Rufus Reid at Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute for Jazz, Christian McBride at Jazz Aspen’s JAS Academy, Ben Wendel at the Siena Jazz Workshop in Italy, and Maria Schneider at the Generations Workshop in Switzerland. 

In 2022, Kasha graduated from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami with a Master’s of Music in Jazz Performance. Kasha is a three-time Downbeat award winner—while at Frost, he won the “Jazz Soloist” category in the graduate division of the Downbeat Magazine Student Music Awards, and his trio received an award for “Outstanding Performance”. He also received the Downbeat Outstanding Soloist award in 2019.

In 2024, Kasha premiered the music from his upcoming record at the Stanford Jazz Festival with his working trio featuring star saxophonist Dayna Stephens. He has also appeared at festivals like San Jose Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival, and hallowed Bay Area venues like Café Stritch, SFJazz, Mr. Tipples, and Club Deluxe. As a sideman, Kasha has collaborated with Nestor Torres, Nick Finzer, Dave Meder, Stephen Scott, and Sal Valentinetti.