Six-time GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Samara Joy will perform at the University at Buffalo Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2027, at 7:30 p.m., the center announced.
A native of the Bronx, Joy grew up on R&B and gospel before discovering jazz at SUNY Purchase. She won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2019 and has since earned wide acclaim as a leading interpreter of jazz standards, the UB Center for the Arts says.
Her Verve album “Linger Awhile” earned GRAMMY Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist. Her latest album, “Portrait,” co-produced with trumpeter and bandleader Brian Lynch, earned the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album and the 2026 GRAMMY Award for Best Vocal Jazz Album, according to the center.
“We’re so excited to welcome Samara Joy back to the Center for the Arts,” said Jamie Enser, executive director of the UB Center for the Arts. “She honors the jazz tradition while making the music feel fresh and relevant to a new generation.”
A special priority offer runs through Thursday, Oct. 22, with early online access available using the unlock code “CFAJOY” at ubcfa.org. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, Oct. 23 at noon at ubcfa.org and via Ticketmaster; tickets also may be purchased in person at the UBCFA Ticket Office. Visit ubcfa.org for current ticket-office hours and event details.
