Meet Misha Penton

We had the good fortune of connecting with Misha Penton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Misha, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Choosing to be an artist is already a risk.

Choosing to make voice-forward, genre-defying work in a world built for categories—that’s another. I’ve often worked outside institutions, built platforms from scratch, and refused to shrink myself to fit a box.

Every time I perform, compose, or publish something, I’m taking a risk—I work in creative realms where voice, body, and imagination blur together, and there’s no blueprint for that. I’ve had to forge my own path. That’s risk and it’s exciting!

But for me, the greater risk has always been not making the work. Silence is more dangerous than rejection. Conforming is more harmful than obscurity. Every piece I offer is a threshold: I don’t know what lives on the other side until I step through.

I don’t see risk as a one-time leap—it’s a long, strange and winding path of choosing truth over comfort. Again and again.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a singer-composer and multidisciplinary artist, and my work blends voice, music, video, and performance into immersive experiences. I often describe what I do as chamber electronica for mystics and dreamers: I create sound worlds where the voice is the central instrument, and everything else unfolds around it.

What sets my work apart is that it doesn’t fit into a traditional genre box. I work across mediums, often outside of institutions, and I build projects from the ground up—composing the music, writing the text, performing, filming, producing. I’m drawn to myth, fairytale, ritual, and deep emotional storytelling, and I use technology to amplify those elements.

It definitely hasn’t been easy. The arts world isn’t always built for people who work across disciplines or who invent their own categories. I’ve had to carve out my own path and stay true to the kind of work I feel called to make, even when it didn’t fit neatly into trends or expectations.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that your uniqueness is your strength—but only if you stay with it long enough to see it bloom. You have to keep showing up, making the work, and building the ecosystem around it. That’s what I’ve done—and continue to do.

If there’s one thing I’d want people to know, it’s that voice isn’t just about singing. It’s about presence and about claiming space. And that’s at the heart of everything I create.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Houston is full of surprises if you know where to look. I love showing friends the city through the lens of beauty, art, and great food.

Day 1: Begin in Nature
We’d start at Memorial Park, walking the Land Bridge trails and wandering through the Eastern Glades. It’s one of the most beautifully restored urban parks in the country and feels like a breath of fresh air right in the city.

Day 2: Art Immersion
Next stop: the Glassell School of Art and the surrounding MFAH sculpture garden. The architecture, art, and landscaping are stunning, and it’s a great way to experience Houston’s cultural pulse. Then, over to the Menil Collection for a quieter, contemplative visit, especially the park and the Cy Twombly Gallery.

Day 3: Sawyer Yards + Local Flavors
We’d spend an afternoon at Sawyer Yards Arts Campus, wandering artist studios and installations, followed by happy hour at Local Foods or Mary’z Mediterranean, depending on the vibe.

Day 4: Coffee + Conversations
For a coffee day: Catalina Coffee on Washington is a longtime favorite or Maven, another gem—chill atmosphere, great pour.

Day 5: Elevated Dining
We’d go full-on celebratory with dinner at Kiran’s for gorgeous Indian fine dining, or Le Jardinier inside MFAH for a luminous garden-inspired experience.

Day 6-7: Wander + Wonder
The rest of the trip would be slow and wandering. Maybe a performance at MATCH, a visit to Rice University’s Skyspace, and a late-night drive down Allen Parkway with the top down, music playing with the city glowing.

Houston is richly layered. There’s the skyline, and then there’s the undercurrent: the artists, the parks, the hidden pockets of creativity. That’s the Houston I love to share.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been lucky to work with some truly inspiring people. Choreographer Toni Valle has been a longtime collaborator, dear friend, and creative ally. We’ve built powerful work together over the years, and her vision always challenges me in the best ways.

My early voice teachers and mentors, especially Lois Alba and Richard Armstrong, helped shape my path and gave me the foundation to explore the voice as more than just sound—as presence, story, and power.

And I have to thank my husband, Dave, who brings a deep steadiness and good humor to the wildness of my artistic life. He’s my sounding board and co-conspirator in this creative journey.

Behind all of it is a long lineage of teachers, artists, and thinkers who lit sparks that I’ve carried forward.

Website: https://mishapenton.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mishadiva/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MishaPenton

Other: Bandcamp: https://mishapenton.bandcamp.com

Image Credits
For all image credits: Misha Penton, courtesy of the artist.