Nikki Yanofsky -2010'S Rising Star!
Do you know ? Nikki Yanofsky , 2010'S Rising Star is 15-Year-Old Gifted Songbird.
As you are making your early 2010 coverage plans, beautiful teenage Canadian vocalist Nikki Yanofsky needs to be at the top of your list. Heralded as a “young Ella Fitzgerald, with poise, polish, nuance and artistry" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer), you're certain to hear/read about Yanofsky in the coming months. Here's why:
* Produced by Phil Ramone and Jesse Harris (of Norah Jones fame), Yanofsky's Decca debut will be out first quarter 2010 and features the star's songwriting collaborations with both Harris and famed Canadian songwriter Ron Sexsmith, in addition to an original song written for her by Feist.
Paying homage to her jazz upbringing, the album will also spotlight unique arrangements of standards with her big band, an original song that Yanofsky wrote for Ella Fitzgerald entitled “First Lady", and the classic Joni Mitchell song “Circle Game."
* Yanofsky will star in a PBS concert special, which will tape on November 11th in her hometown of Montreal. The special will broadcast nationally on PBS affiliates during the March 2010 pledge drive and will also be available for purchase on DVD.
* Yanofsky has already shared the stage with multi-award composer Marvin Hamlisch, performed with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra and collaborated with Wyclef Jean.
* Yanofsky is the youngest performer ever to headline her own show in the history of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, which she did at age 12.
* Yanofsky will kick off a U.S. tour next spring. Of Yanofsky's live performance, the Washington Post declared “Yanofsky... stunned the crowd with her vocal maturity....she's something else, with a bright, pitch-perfect voice..."
* In 2008, Yanofsky made her Canadian debut with 'Ella... Of Thee I Swing, ' a live CD/DVD tribute to her musical idol, Ella Fitzgerald. Certified Gold, 'Ella...' was nominated for two Juno Awards, and the DVD documentary “Nikki: Beginnings" won a Gemini Award - the Canadian equivalent of the Emmy. All at the age of 13, making Yanofsky the youngest nominee in Juno Awards history.
Biography
Nikki Yanofsky is a 15-year-old musical prodigy. Since her debut at the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival where she won the hearts of the 100,000+ audience, Nikki has never looked back. She was the youngest singer ever on a Verve Records release when she recorded “Airmail Special” for the Ella Fitzgerald tribute album, We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song, alongside such musical luminaries as Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Krall and Natalie Cole. She has also recorded the swing-era classic, “Stompin’ at the Savoy” with Grammy Award-winning artists Herbie Hancock and Will.i.am for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s audio book, On the Shoulders of Giants. Also, in the realm of popular music, Nikki was asked to record “Gotta Go My Own Way” for Disney’s smash hit High School Musical 2. The song was included in French and English on the Canadian release of the soundtrack as well as in the bonus features of the DVD which was released worldwide.
Most recently, Nikki can be seen singing and performing with renowned hip-hop artist Wyclef Jean on PBS Kids for the title sequence of the 2009 version of The Electric Company. Along with playing to sold-out crowds at jazz festivals in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Montego Bay, Nikki has been on a multi-city tour with renowned composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch including New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and even her hometown of Montreal. She has been broadcast internationally on PBS’s youth talent showcase From the Top and was seen as a feature artist on YTV’s The Next Star.
Nikki has used her budding fame to help the underprivileged as well, becoming an ambassador for both the Montreal Children’s Hospital and oneXone, a non-profit foundation that is committed to supporting, preserving and improving the lives of children in Canada and around the world. To date, Nikki has been involved in events that have raised over ten-million dollars for local, national and international charities.
In anticipation of Nikki’s first studio album, which she is currently recording with 14-time Grammy Award-winning producer Phil Ramone, she released Ella… of Thee I Swing, a live CD and DVD, on September 23rd, 2008. This album has garnered critical acclaim from many notable publications and has earned Nikki two Juno nominations including New Artist of the Year and Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.
Nikki has recently completed a Canadian Jazz Festival tour including a special free concert for the 30th Anniversary of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Later this summer, she will be touring in Japan including dates in Tokyo, Sapporo, Nagoya and Obihiro.