CT
Nicole Zuraitis is a GRAMMY-Award Winning jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, Connecticut-based bandleader and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole has positioned herself as one of the top artists and "prolific songwriters" (Broadway World) to watch in jazz and beyond. As a recording artist, Nicole has released six albums as leader, and her sixth album How Love Begins, co-produced with eight-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride, won a GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2024, featuring all original music. In 2025 she was nominated again for a song she wrote, "Little Fears" in Best Jazz Performance.
Besides leading her quartet, Nicole is the premier vocalist for the Birdland Big Band and frequently headlines iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle, 54 Below and the late, great 55 Bar. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony and Macon Pops and has supported iconic singers like Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss and Livingston Taylor on piano and vocals.
Nicole's arrangement of Dolly Parton's Jolene, co-written with renowned drummer and bandleader Dan Pugach, was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY®, spring boarding her career and making her a household name in the modern-day jazz landscape. In 2020, she was named in the top 40 under 40 for 2020 in Connecticut Magazine, and her weekly live stream during the Covid-19 crisis, "Virtual Piano Lounge," was featured in Forbes Magazine.
Nicole has collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim, Rachel Z, Helen Sung, and Bernard Purdie. She is a proud educator and currently vocal faculty at NYUand the Litchfield Jazz Camp.
An ardent activist with a decade-long track record of giving back, her album release coincided with a self-produced music festival and day of activism for Save the Sound. Org. She plans to reinvent Siren Songs to Save the Sound as a community music festival in West Haven yearly while continuing her work alongside her husband Dan Pugach rescuing and rehabilitating pitbulls from kill shelters. www.nicolezmusic.com @nicolezmusic for more.
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Institution/Business Type:
Artist / Creative (Individual)
Legal Status:
Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship
Year Founded:
2020
Institution/Business Type:
Artist / Creative (Individual)
Legal Status:
Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship
Year Founded:
2020
Primary Discipline:
Music - JazzAdditional Disciplines:
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$1000 to $4500Teaching Settings:
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$1000 to $4500Technical Requirements:
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We range from 3000 to 10000, with $5000 being the general median acceptance rate for the quartet. For solo performances and work shops, $1500- $4000.State of Residence:
ConnecticutMinimum Number of Performers:
4Maximum Number of Performers:
10