Nikoletta Szőke
Biography
Nikoletta Szőke is a Hungarian jazz singer. She was born 8th May, 1983 in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary. Moves to capital Budapest at age of four and starts studies there. Nikoletta, whose father is a professional dulcimer player, shows musical talent at early age, attending musical kindergarten and then breaking off her music carreer for fourteen years. After graduating high school, she decides to study singing. Meets her future husband on her first significant performance, József Barcza Horváth bass player, who introduces her to jazz and the celebrated song teacher Gábor Winand. After gaining a degree at Technical College of Economy and External Trade Administration Department, she devotes herself solely to singing, rather than to pursue her further studies at the School of Music and ELTE University’s English and Russian department[1]. While learning to sing she also starts her performing carreer, beginning with the Robert Szakcsi Lakatos Trio, and moving on to other combos. In 2005, after three and a half years of jazz studies and performances she applies to the prestigious international Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition[2]for singers under 30. She is awarded first prize as well as the audience award. Judges included Barbara Hendricks, Randy Crawford and others. In January 2006 she participates in the Conference of International Associaton for Jazz Education (IAJE Conference) in New York. She had held performances at the New York Hilton and the Lincoln Center’s Dizzy's Club. Her partners included Gilad Hekselman, Israel (2005 Montreux Guitar Competition Winner), Harold Lopez Nussa-Torres, Cuba (2005 Montreux Piano Competition Winner) and Geoff Newman and Anthony Pinciotti from the USA.
Links
Nikoletta Szőke's homepage[3]
Nikoletta Szőke on motreuxjazz.com[4]