Home » Jazz News » Performance / Tour
Tony, Emmy And Grammy-nominated Artist N'kenge Announces NYC Jazz Performance Series
It’s great to be back home and perform at some of my favorite jazz clubs in NYC. As much as I love performing opera overseas, it’s always a pleasure to get back to singing jazz in New York City!
—N'Kenge, Jazz/Opera/Theater Vocalist and Singer-Songwriter
Tony, Grammy, and Emmy-nominated songstress N’Kenge is coming home. Fresh off a European tour that took her from Italy’s fashion week to the opera stage in Bulgaria, the acclaimed vocalist returns to her hometown of New York City for a series of live performances at some of the city’s most celebrated jazz venues from October 30 through December 3, 2026.
N’Kenge’s return to NYC follows a whirlwind European engagement that showcased her extraordinary versatility as a performer. During Italy’s Fashion Week, she performed at Sala Verdi Hall in Milan, before traveling to Bulgaria, where she starred as Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the State Opera in Stara Zagora.
The European performances come on the heels of another major milestone: N’Kenge was named Best Vocalist at the 2026 14th Annual Intercontinental Music Awards, a global international competition,for her live performance of “Bewitched,” featured on her acclaimed 2025 album, Centerstage – Live from the Ella Fitzgerald Festival. The honor further underscores the remarkable range of an artist equally at home in jazz, opera, Broadway and beyond.
Now, N’Kenge is bringing that experience back to the city where it all began, performing with the N’Kenge All-Star Band at an exciting lineup of NYC venues. The esteemed band members include Paul Shinn on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on upright bass, Chris Paredes on drums and James Gibbs III on trumpet. Additional featured artists include Jihee Heo on piano, ELEW (Eric Lewis) on piano, Alphonso Horne on trumpet, Camille Gainer on drums and Melissa Slocum on upright bass at select venues.
“It’s great to be back home and perform at some of my favorite jazz clubs in NYC,” says N’Kenge. “As much as I love performing opera overseas, it’s always a pleasure to get back to singing jazz in New York City!”
N’Kenge and her All-Star Band will perform at the following NYC dates:
With her powerhouse voice, dynamic stage presence and ability to move effortlessly between musical worlds, N’Kenge continues to captivate audiences on stages around the globe.
N’Kenge’s return to NYC follows a whirlwind European engagement that showcased her extraordinary versatility as a performer. During Italy’s Fashion Week, she performed at Sala Verdi Hall in Milan, before traveling to Bulgaria, where she starred as Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the State Opera in Stara Zagora.
The European performances come on the heels of another major milestone: N’Kenge was named Best Vocalist at the 2026 14th Annual Intercontinental Music Awards, a global international competition,for her live performance of “Bewitched,” featured on her acclaimed 2025 album, Centerstage – Live from the Ella Fitzgerald Festival. The honor further underscores the remarkable range of an artist equally at home in jazz, opera, Broadway and beyond.
Now, N’Kenge is bringing that experience back to the city where it all began, performing with the N’Kenge All-Star Band at an exciting lineup of NYC venues. The esteemed band members include Paul Shinn on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on upright bass, Chris Paredes on drums and James Gibbs III on trumpet. Additional featured artists include Jihee Heo on piano, ELEW (Eric Lewis) on piano, Alphonso Horne on trumpet, Camille Gainer on drums and Melissa Slocum on upright bass at select venues.
“It’s great to be back home and perform at some of my favorite jazz clubs in NYC,” says N’Kenge. “As much as I love performing opera overseas, it’s always a pleasure to get back to singing jazz in New York City!”
N’Kenge and her All-Star Band will perform at the following NYC dates:
October 30, 7:30 & 9:00 pm (two sets)
Club Room at Soho Grand Hotel / 310 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013November 5, 7–10 pm
Red Rooster Harlem (Residency) / 310 Lenox Avenue, Harlem, NY 10027November 7, 9–11 pm
The Jazz Club at the Aman New York / 9 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019 (The Crown Building)November 19, 7–10 pm
Red Rooster Harlem (Residency) / 310 Lenox Avenue, Harlem, NY 10027November 21, 7:30 & 9:00 pm (two sets)
Club Room at Soho Grand Hotel / 310 W Broadway, New York, NY 10013November 26, 7–10 pm
Red Rooster Harlem (Residency) / 310 Lenox Avenue, Harlem, NY 10027December 3, 7–10 pm
Red Rooster Harlem (Residency) / 310 Lenox Avenue, Harlem, NY 10027With her powerhouse voice, dynamic stage presence and ability to move effortlessly between musical worlds, N’Kenge continues to captivate audiences on stages around the globe.
Visit Website | Purchase Tickets
For more information contact EMPKT Media Inc..
