The Florida Orchestra

Hilary Kole
Vocalist

Vocalist Hilary Kole's current release You Are There (Justin Time/JVC Japan) is a compilation of piano and vocal duets with some of the greatest artists in the history of jazz piano including Dave Brubeck, the late Hank Jones and many more. It is a follow-up to her debut recording produced by John Pizzarelli, Haunted Heart (Justin Time), which was released to critical acclaim in April of 2009, winning the Gold Disc Award in Japan and receiving 4 stars in Downbeat Magazine. Both recordings are testaments to Kole's musicianship and versatility as an artist in a career that started in a slightly different vein.

After studying composition at Manhattan School of Music, Kole began performing as a vocalist at the legendary Rainbow Room as the youngest singer ever to grace the stage. From there, she debuted at the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel as the co-writer and star of the critically acclaimed, Off-Broadway reviews Our Sinatra and Singing Astaire. She made her concert hall debut at Lincoln Center as part of the American Songbook Series with Jonathan Schwartz. In June 2007, she appeared at Carnegie Hall in a Tribute to Oscar Peterson, a performance reprised in January 2008 at the Canadian Memorial to Dr. Peterson at Roy Thompson Hall alongside Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Nancy Wilson.

Additional major concert appearances include headlining in New York City at Town Hall, Birdland, The Blue Note, Iridium, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Jazz Standard, and Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops and with Michael Feinstein. Throughout the world, Kole has headlined at the Umbria Jazz Festival, The Montreal Jazz Festival, the Nairn Jazz Festival in Scotland, and the Cotton Club and Blue Note in Japan. She also travels the country performing an orchestral show with pops orchestras. In addition to Messrs Brubeck and Jones, she has recorded and/or performed with Oscar Peterson, Michel Legrand, John Pizzarelli, David Frishberg, Monty Alexander, Benny Green, Freddy Cole, Alan Broadbent, Cedar Walton and Mike Renzi among others.

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