Nikki Yanofsky

Nicole Rachel “Nikki” Yanofsky was born on February 8, 1994, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She began her professional singing career at the age of 12, headlining the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival, making her the youngest performer ever to do so. Her early talent was quickly recognized, leading to her recording the Ella Fitzgerald song “Air Mail Special” for Verve Records in June 2007 on the album “We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song,” making her the youngest singer to record for the label. She further gained early recognition by recording “Gotta Go My Own Way” in English and French for Disney’s “High School Musical 2” and collaborating with Herbie Hancock and will.i.am on “Stompin’ at the Savoy” for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s audiobook. Her debut full-length album, the live CD/DVD “Ella…Of Thee I Swing,” was released in September 2008, earning her two Juno Award nominations.

Yanofsky achieved significant national recognition in 2010 when she sang “I Believe,” the CTV Olympic broadcast theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. This song reached number one on the Canadian Hot 100, making her the first Canadian artist to achieve this on that chart, and was certified “Quadruple Platinum” for digital downloads. Her first studio album, “Nikki,” produced by Phil Ramone, was released in April 2010, featuring original works and collaborations with artists such as Jesse Harris and Ron Sexsmith. This album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart in Canada, was certified gold within three months, and earned a Juno nomination for “Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.”

Her career continued to progress with her second studio album, “Little Secret,” executive produced by Quincy Jones and released in May 2014, which was certified Gold in Canada. Yanofsky has performed with numerous esteemed orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra. She has also contributed to charitable causes, helping raise over $10 million for various organizations and singing as part of Young Artists for Haiti’s remake of K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag,” which also went platinum. She continues to release music, with her fourth studio album, “Nikki By Starlight,” released in 2022.