Cecile McLorin Salvant

Vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant is an adept jazz singer who came to the public's attention after winning the 2010 Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition. Born in Miami, Florida to a French mother and Haitian father, Salvant was interested in music from a young age. She began piano lessons at age 5 and by age 8 was singing with the Miami Choral Society. She studied classical voice privately before enrolling at the Darius Milhaud Conservatory in Aix-en-Provence, France where she studied law as well as classical voice. It was during this time, studying and performing with reed player Jean-François Bonnel, that she became increasingly interested in jazz performance. She released her European debut album, Cécile, in 2009. A year later, she took home the top honor at the Thelonious Monk Vocal Jazz Competition in Washington, D.C. Subsequently, Salvant performed with a variety of artists and even appeared on pianist Jacky Terrasson's 2012 album, Gouache. In 2013, Salvant released her U.S. debut album, WomanChild, on Mack Avenue Records.