For multidisciplinary artist Elvira Kalnik, creativity isn’t just an outlet—it’s a way of life, a force of healing, and a channel for transformation. With her latest single and video, “Water Knows,” she dives into deeply personal territory, translating an overwhelming life experience into a genre-blending deep house track that pulses with raw emotion and cinematic vision. In this intimate interview, the European-born, U.S.-based singer, songwriter, producer, and designer opens up about the cathartic moment by the river that inspired the song, her lifelong devotion to artistic exploration, and why water continues to be her greatest teacher. From debuting in opera to being called an “opera diva with a Rock’n’Roll mind,” to designing fashion collections and producing her own videos, Elvira Kalnik reveals what it means to embrace every moment, flow with your own current, and turn pain into art.
Elvira, “Water Knows” feels so personal and powerful. What was going on in your life when you wrote this song, and how did those emotions shape the music?
Sometimes, life can bring us situations that seem to be unbearable and out of control. I believe that if we can’t change circumstances, at least we can do something to change a state of mind that can help to feel better emotionally. Water is one of the most effective ways to do that. It’s a good teacher and a healer. We can release emotions into water and feel relieved.
The song “Water Knows” started near the river when I basically cried my worries into the water. It was a very powerful experience and an “aha” moment. Water is the essence of life. We consist of water. We are water. That’s why we reach for a glass of water when we feel stressed.
I would say that the water is a very good listener too. It carries so much information and knows everything that we share with it.
You’re classically trained, yet you’ve never been afraid to experiment with electronic, jazz, and even jungle beats. Where does that fearless spirit of exploration come from?
I started creating ones I touched on a piano when I was six. I’ve always been curious and love to create. I’ve always had something more to say musically than just singing. That’s why, I’ve never viewed myself as an opera singer or a singer in general even though I did pretty well in music college and had my debut at a theater in front of a thousand people by age 18. Teachers used to call me “opera diva with a Rock’n’Roll mind”.
I always have some new ideas. When the idea comes, I don’t think twice and just go for it, because I’m not attached to a result. It’s about excitement and a moment. Moments never repeat. So, I embrace whatever comes and then see where it takes me.
The music video for “Water Knows” is stunning—so visual and theatrical. When you create, do you hear the music first or see the story unfold visually in your mind?
Thank you so much for your kind words. Sometimes, I hear a sound first, and sometimes I can feel and see the entire video clip in my mind. It depends on perception at a particular moment. Usually, everything happens simultaneously: music, lyrics and visuals. It comes as thoughts, feelings, sounds and pictures. Then, I work on them to recreate in a physical form what I experience in my mind.
You’ve performed on some of the biggest stages, including the United Nations Humanitarian Gala in New York. How did that experience change you, both as an artist and as a person?
It was a feeling of being involved in something really meaningful with a group of amazing people that work hard to create peace in this world. I’m grateful to Dr. Andrise Bass, the founder of Institute of Public Policy and Diplomacy Research for inviting me. It was an honor for me to be a part of such a valuable event.
You wear so many hats—singer, songwriter, producer, fashion designer, model, even actor. How do all those creative worlds come together when you’re working on a project like this?
It’s very helpful and rewarding to have multiple skills. It helps me to view a project from different perspectives and opens new horizons and pushes borders. At first, I couldn’t choose what I wanted to do: dancing, acting, singing, writing, modeling… so, I decided to do everything at one’s. Then I found out that I can design and started creating my stage costumes. Later, I learned video production. Basically, I do entire production starting from writing a song to filming a music video.
“Water Knows” is about letting go and trusting the unknown. What’s a moment in your own life when you had to release something and allow yourself to move forward?
I would say that probably I have these moments often. It feels like staying at a junction. In order to move in one direction, we have to give up everything else, which might not be so easy. Sometimes, we can feel stuck in a situation. I learned to take a situation and put it in my heart. If it feels right, I go for it. If not, I let it go.
Your work is already being recognized within the industry for its originality. What does that validation mean to you at this stage in your artistic journey?
I feel humbled and think that it’s luck. It’s exciting to see that my work got recognized. I guess when you receive industry, peer and listeners’ positive feedback, it is a good indicator that whatever you do touches others. Every recognition, every good word and award I take with gratitude and appreciation.
At the heart of it all, what do you hope listeners feel or take away when they press play on “Water Knows”?
I want listeners to remember that nothing is permanent, and the only constant thing in life is that everything constantly changes. And everything changes in our lives depending on our choices that we make now. In fact, whatever we decide to do with our lives today determines our future. We don’t need to carry a baggage of old nonworking patterns and beliefs that don’t serve us, but rather the opposite, weighing us down.
Instead, we can release all pains and emotions into the water and let them be carried away by current while feeling grateful for all the lessons that life brought us and for what we have, especially the essentials that we often overlook: air, water, sun, Mother Earth and love.
