Nicole Zuraitis

Nicole Zuraitis is a Grammy-winning American jazz vocalist, pianist, songwriter and arranger.

Early life
Nicole Zuraitis grew up in Connecticut. She attended Litchfield public schools as well as Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Music studies
Zuraitis began to sing jazz with a local community college big band after being encouraged by her high school music director. She also frequently attended Litchfield Jazz Camp, which she attributes to her early interest in jazz.

Zuraitis studied classical voice at New York University. After a brief period performing opera professionally after graduation, she moved back to New York City to pursue songwriting and jazz in 2009.

Music career
Zuraitis has released six albums as leader. Her sixth album How Love Begins was co-produced by Christian McBride in 2023. The album won the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Zuraitis is also the premier vocalist for the Birdland Big Band and frequently performs at jazz Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note Jazz Club, the Carlyle at the Carlyle Hotel, 54 Below and the 55 Bar. She has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra, Asheville Symphony Orchestra, and Macon Pops and has supported iconic singers like Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss and Livingston Taylor on piano and vocals.

Zuraitis's arrangement of Dolly Parton's "Jolene", co-written with drummer and bandleader Dan Pugach, was nominated for a 2019 Grammy,. Zuraitis has collaborated with Christian McBride, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez (drummer), Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim, Rachel Z, Helen Sung, and Bernard Purdie.

Teaching
Zuraitis currently teaches at the vocal faculty at New York University, and at the jazz vocal faculty at the State University of New York at Purchase. She is a Jazz Vocal Instructor at Litchfield Jazz Camp.

Awards
Zuraitis' performance of Dolly Parton’s Jolene (song) in collaboration with the Dan Pugach Nonet received a Grammy Award nomination in 2019 for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals. Her album How Love Begins earned Nicole her second Grammy Award nomination and first award win in 2024 for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

In 2020, Broadway World nominated Zuraitis for five Cabaret Awards. Additionally, she was the 2016 Coffee Music Project New York Songwriting Project winner and 2015 runner-up in The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Zuraitis was named in Connecticut Magazine's "40 under 40". She received the IMEA Best Jazz Album award, the Johnny Mercer Award in the American Traditions Competition and the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer award. She won the 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal.

Personal life
Zuraitis married drummer and composer Dan Pugach in 2018. They currently live in Connecticut. She is of Lithuanian descent through her paternal grandfather.

As leader

 * Cafės & Conversations– EP (La Reserve Records, 2023)
 * How Love Begins (Outside In Music, 2023) GRAMMY Award Best Jazz Vocal Album 2024
 * All Wandering Hearts (DotTime Records, 2020)
 * Live at Two-Headed Calf - with Brandon Scott Coleman (2018)
 * Hive Mind (DotTime Records, 2017)
 * Pariah Anthem - (2013)
 * Spread the Word (2008)

As group

 * Sonica– with Thana Alexa, Julia Adamy (hana Alexa Pavelic, Nicole Zuraitis, Julia Sinclair Pederson, Outside in Music, 2022)

As guest

 * Ona – Thana Alexa (Independent, 2020)
 * All About Love – Elise Testone (2020)
 * Plus One – Dan Pugach Nonet (Unit Records, 2018)
 * Day Dream – Carmen Staaf Sextet (2017)
 * Wishes on a Neon Sign – Abbie Gardner (2017)
 * Come to Paradise – Suzanne Dean (2016)
 * Sealine Woman – With Nikki and The Riot (2016)
 * Right Here – Andrea Daly (2016)
 * Take Some Air – EVA (Independent, 2015)
 * Something New – Jennifer Sullivan (Independent, 2014)