Three-time Grammy nominee Luciana Souza is one of Jazz’s leading singers and interpreters, while at the same time establishing herself as one of the most exciting songwriters of the time. Hailing from São Paulo, Brazil, she grew up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators. Her work as a performer transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles, offering solid roots in jazz, sophisticated lineage in world music and an enlightened approach to classical repertoire and new music.
As a leader, Luciana Souza has seven acclaimed releases including her three Grammy nominated records Brazilian Duos (2002) North and South (2003) and Duos II (2005). Her two other recordings for the prestigious Sunnyside label, brought her critical acclaim – The Poems of Elizabeth Bishop and Other Songs, was named one of the Top Ten Jazz and Pop records of 2001, by The New York Times. Her recording of 2004, Neruda, is a celebration of the Chilean poet’s centennial. Her debut recording for Universal/Verve, The New Bossa Nova (2007) offers an exquisite and personal interpretation on songs by Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, and Steely Dan, among others, and a sublime duet with James Taylor, produced by Ms. Souza’s husband, Larry Klein.
Ms. Souza has been a prominent soloist in two works by new music composer Osvaldo Golijov – La Pasion According to St. Mark and Oceana. She has performed with the Bach Akademie Stuttgart, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Other orchestral appearances include de Falla's El Amor Brujo with the New York Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Her work in chamber music includes a fruitful collaboration with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.
Ms. Souza began her recording career at age three with a radio commercial, and recorded more than 200 jingles and soundtracks, becoming a first-call studio veteran at age 16. She spent four years on faculty at Unicamp State University in Brazil, followed by an assistant professorship at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she received a Bachelor's in Jazz Composition. Ms. Souza earned a Master's degree in Jazz Studies from New England Conservatory of Music and is currently a visiting artist of the Manhattan School of Music. In 2005, she was awarded Female Jazz Singer of the Year, by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Ms. Souza has performed and recorded with a who is who of Jazz, including Herbie Hancock, Kenny Wheeler, Maria Schneider, Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Hermeto Pascoal, and many others. Her complete discography contains more than 50 records as a side singer. Her singing has been called "transcendental, "perfect, " and of "unparalleled beauty. " Entertainment Weekly said, "Her voice traces a landscape of emotion that knows no boundaries."