New York Voices

New York Voices is a vocal ensemble which has it's roots in jazz, but explores a variety of musical styles including pop, classical, r&b and world music. The group was formed in 1987 by Darmon Meader, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian, Caprice Fox and Sara Krieger. Darmon, Peter, Kim and Caprice shared common college roots (Ithaca College) and performed together in an Ithaca alumni group during the summer of '86. This alumni group, which was made up of six vocalists and seven instrumentalists, performed at major European jazz festivals such as Montreux and North Sea, and was the impetus for forming NYV.

After meeting Sara in New York, the group began writing, arranging and rehearsing in the fall of 1987, and performed their first concert in February of '88 at Town Hall. NYV began performing regularly at local New York clubs such as Preacher's, J's and Visiones, building a solid following and serious record industry interest along the way. The group was signed to GRP Records in January of 1989, and released their self titled debut album that summer. The next three years consisted of much international and domestic touring, as well as the release of their second CD, "Hearts of Fire" in September of 1991.

In 1992, Sara Krieger left NYV, and after auditioning many vocalists from around the U.S., the group found Lauren Kinhan. Lauren immediately fit in to the chemistry of the group, both musically and personally, allowing the group to make a quick transition to the "new" New York Voices. Lauren's musical contributions can be heard on NYV's third CD, "What's Inside," released in May of 1993. In early 1994, Caprice left the group. At this point, the remaining four decided to streamline the group. The quartet's first gig was an invitation only event at B. Smith's in New York City. The response to the new group was exceptional, and so the quartet was born.

The Voices were unsigned for a few years. While looking for a new record deal, they continued to perform and record. NYV appeared as a guest on a number of CDs, including: "The Ancient Tower" (Robert Lepley - EarthBeat Records), "Heirs to Jobim" (BMG Records) and the Grammy award winning "Count Basie Orchestra Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild" (MCG Records). NYV has had the pleasure of performing and recording with a number of influential jazz artists such as Ray Brown, Joshua Redman, George Benson and the Count Basie Orchestra.

In early 1997, NYV signed a new deal with RCA Victor, which led to the recording of their latest CD entitled "New York Voices Sing the Songs of Paul Simon." The group also appears as a guest on new releases by both Don Sebesky (BMG) and Jim Hall(Telarc). Along with their extensive concert performances and recording dates, NYV also works in the field of education, giving workshops and clinics to high school and college music students. Individually, the four members are involved in a variety of projects including solo performances and recordings, teaching, writing and arranging. The group hopes to continue to explore a variety of musical styles, and continue to expand their audience for years to come.