Where: Forsyth Park 6:40 PM

Nicole Zuraitis is the 2024 GRAMMY winning Jazz Vocalist of the year and a two-time GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, She is a New York-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 five albums as leader, and her sixth album, How Love Begins, co-produced with eight-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride, won BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM at the 2024 GRAMMY® awards and features all original music.
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.

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.
The Left Bank Big Band, under the direction of Dr. Matthew White, is the premiere ensemble of the University of South Carolina Jazz Studies Program. Performing a variety of musical styles that represents the rich and varied history of big band performance and improvised music, they have recently performed with Michael Dease, Mimi Jones, and various other jazz luminaries. In Summer 2025, the ensemble will tour Europe with invitations to perform at the Vienne (France), Montreux (Switzerland), and Umbria (Italy) jazz festivals.