Samara Joy

ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY PRESENTS

GRAMMY®-WINNING VOCALIST

SAMARA JOY,

 NOVEMBER 11, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (October 2, 2025) – Ensemble Arts Philly presents three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz vocalist, Samara Joy, for An Evening with Samara Joy at the Miller Theater on November 11, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., a performance date that coincides with Joy’s own 26th birthday. With sold-out performances in Philadelphia two years running, Samara Joy promises to deliver an unforgettable evening as a part of Ensemble Arts’ 2025–26 Jazz Series.

In a remarkably short time, Samara Joy has leapt from newcomer to bona fide star status, conquering the GRAMMY Awards three consecutive years. Among her other conquests are the critics, who lavish praise upon Joy's creamy voice, pitch-perfect tone, and engaging, intuitive way with lyrics – hailing her as a reincarnation of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, with a special something of her own.

She comes by those talents naturally, coming from a deeply musical family. Her grandparents helmed the Philadelphia gospel group, The Savettes, and her father, the musician and songwriter Antonio McLendon, has produced, composed, and arranged astounding original work.

Perhaps Joy's greatest conquest for the future of the great American art form of jazz, is her multi-generational, cross-genre fan base. A hit with old-school jazz fans, she's also converting a new generation to the art form; NPR calls her a "classic jazz singer from a new generation."

“Samara Joy represents artistic excellence, bridging generations through her masterful musical interpretations,” said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming and Presentations. “Celebrating her 26th birthday the day of her Philadelphia show, Joy is still a self-proclaimed student, experiencing warp-speed success while growing into her own. We are excited that our venues have become her artistic home in Philadelphia.”

A native of the Bronx, Samara Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. While her family history is deeply rooted in music, she didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college at SUNY Purchase. During her studies there, she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as a rising star to watch. She was heard by audiences and critics alike as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique, and charisma that defined her jazz heroines – including Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln, and Carmen McRae.

Joy released her self-titled debut on the Whirlwind label in 2021, followed a year later by Linger Awhile, her breakout Verve debut, of which Down Beat said, “With this beautiful recording, a silky-voiced star is born.” The album earned her a GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Album in addition to a headline-making win for Best New Artist. A deluxe edition of the album was released, as well as the EP A Joyful Holiday, which took home GRAMMYs for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Jazz Performance in 2025. Her new Verve album, Portrait, which Joy co-produced with the veteran trumpeter/bandleader and multi-GRAMMY ® winner Brian Lynch, showcases the intimate, soulful chemistry she’s developed with her touring band, already earning her an NAACP Image Award this year for Best Jazz Album. Portrait also spotlights her burgeoning gifts as a lyricist, in ingenious arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, and her late mentor Barry Harris.

An Evening with Samara Joy is a part of Ensemble Arts Philly’s 2025–26 Jazz Series. Other featured upcoming performances in the 25-26 Jazz Series include Nate Smith (October 11, 2025, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); Béla Fleck & the Flecktones: Jingle All the Way (December 12, 2025, Miller Theater); Alfredo Rodriguez & Pedrito Martínez (January 22, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); Kurt Elling: Wildflowers (February 27, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); Emmet Cohen: Miles and Coltrane at 100 (March 20, 2026, Miller Theater); Endea Owens & The Cookout (March 28, 2026, Perelman Theater inside the Kimmel Center); Christian McBride & Edgar Meyer (April 21, 2026, Miller Theater); Rhiannon Giddens (May 5, 2026, Miller Theater); and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (May 26, 2026, Marian Anderson Hall inside the Kimmel Center).

Tickets 

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org, by calling 215-893-1999, or in person at the Academy of Music Box Office (240 S. Broad Street) daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.

An Evening with Samara Joy

Miller Theater

Tuesday, November 11, 2025, 7:00 p.m. 

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ABOUT ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY 

For more information about ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.      

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