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Updated 1/17/2025

Nicole Zuraitis

  • C

    CT

Institution/Business Type: Artist / Creative (Individual)

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. 

About

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Legal Status:

Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship

Year Founded:

2020

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Legal Status:

Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship

Year Founded:

2020

Disciplines

Primary Discipline:

Music - Jazz

Additional Disciplines:

  • Music - Composition

Activities and Services

Activities and Services:

  • Arts for Social Change / Creative Activism
  • Artist Representation / Artist Management
  • Performance / Concert / Reading
  • Virtual Events
  • Wedding / Parties / Private Gatherings
  • Community Arts
Seasons Active: spring, summer, fall, winter
Events Per Year: 260

Communities

Populations Engaged:

  • Adults
  • Artists
  • Businesses
  • Elders
  • General Public
  • LGBTQ Populations
  • Nonprofits
  • People with Disabilities
  • School Groups
  • Teens
  • Veteran/Active Duty Military Personnel
  • Youth-At-Risk

Languages Available:

  • English

Geographic Reach:

  • Town / City
  • County
  • Multi-County Region
  • State
  • Multi-State Region
  • National
  • International

Media Gallery

I Have Worked With

Affiliations and Accomplishments

Professional Associations

Professional Associations:

  • Recording Academy, NARAS
  • NYU
  • SUNY PURCHASE
  • Forbes Magazine
  • CT Office of the Arts Fellowship

Professional Associations

Professional Associations:

  • Recording Academy, NARAS
  • NYU
  • SUNY PURCHASE
  • Forbes Magazine
  • CT Office of the Arts Fellowship

Awards

Awards:

  • Grammy Nomination 2019
  • Connecticut Magazine 40 under 40
  • American Traditions Competition Gold Medalist
  • Sarah Vaughan Internation Jazz Vocal Competition runner up
  • Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award
  • Downbeat Magazine Best recordings of 2022
  • New York Songwriting Competition Winner
  • Touring artist with Livingston Taylor, Tom Chapin, Melanie Safka
  • Touring artist with Darren Criss, Morgan James
  • CT Office of the Arts fellowship recipient
  • GRAMMY Win- Best Jazz Vocal Album
  • GRAMMY nomination- Best Jazz Performance

Education

Education:

  • New York University BM
  • Louisiana State University, MBA

Artist Info

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue
  • Corporate Business
  • Private Studio
  • School / University
  • Virtual / Remote
  • Afterschool Program

Ages Served:

  • Adults
  • College-age
  • High School-age
  • Middle School-age

Subject Areas:

  • Music

Certifications and Training:

  • Bachelor of Music
  • Masters of Business

Fee range:

$1000 to $4500

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue
  • Corporate Business
  • Private Studio
  • School / University
  • Virtual / Remote
  • Afterschool Program

Ages Served:

  • Adults
  • College-age
  • High School-age
  • Middle School-age

Subject Areas:

  • Music

Certifications and Training:

  • Bachelor of Music
  • Masters of Business

Fee range:

$1000 to $4500

Touring Artist

Technical Requirements:

  • PA, monitors, sound engineer. We prefer to have backline provided such as drums, piano/keyboard, guitar amp and bass amp as well when possible.

Fee Range:

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:

Connecticut

Minimum Number of Performers:

4

Maximum Number of Performers:

10

Venues for Rent/Use

Home Recording Studio
Venue Address: 28 West Haven West Haven, CT 06516
Venue Phone: 8603096915
Venue Type: Multi-Purpose Room