PRESS RELEASES
IN THE MEDIA | PRESS RELEASES | AMP NEWSLETTER | ELLEN’S WORK BLOG
December 11, 2025
American Mural Project's Live @AMP presents 2X GRAMMY-winning Jazz Artist Nicole Zuraitis
Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter to Perform "My Favorite Songs" on February 7 at 8pm
American Mural Project (AMP), home of the world's largest indoor collaborative artwork, kicks off its 2026 Live @AMP concert series with an intimate evening of 2X GRAMMY Award-winning jazz vocalist and songwriter Nicole Zuraitis. The concert, performed against the towering five-story mural celebrating the role of work in American lives, will be Saturday, February 7 at 8pm.
Performing a program entitled "My Favorite Songs," Zuraitis will launch the year's Live @AMP: Women Take the Lead four-concert lineup spotlighting acclaimed female performers. With jazz being a distinctly American art form, the concert also launches AMP's America 250 series of programs.
Live @AMP series curator Michelle Begley states, "I am over the moon that we have the opportunity to present this amazing artist in a one-of-a-kind setting. Her 'My Favorite Songs' program is a rare opportunity for jazz fans to hear this singular talent at the piano singing the songs that have influenced her on her journey and telling the stories behind them.
Tickets for Nicole Zuraitis are $50 plus service fee in advance; $60 at the door. Student tickets are $10 plus service fee in advance; $20 at the door. Tickets will be available at the door subject to availability, so advance reservations are highly recommended. Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are on sale now at AmericanMuralProject.org under the Events tab.
About Nicole Zuraitis
Nicole Zuraitis is a 2X GRAMMY® winning and 4X GRAMMY-nominated jazz singer-songwriter, pianist and arranger, New York-based bandleader, and winner of the prestigious 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition Gold Medal. With a “heart as big as her remarkable voice,” (Jazz Police), Nicole is a trailblazing artist who is redefining vocal jazz, earning her a place as one of the top artists and "prolific songwriters" (Broadway World) to watch in jazz and beyond.
As a recording artist, Nicole has released five albums as leader, and her sixth album How Love Begins, co-produced with eight-time GRAMMY-winner Christian McBride, features all original music and was awarded the 2024 GRAMMY for BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM. Nicole is the only artist ever to have won this award who wrote and arranged the entire album herself. In addition to leading her quartet, Nicole performed and recorded with the Birdland Big Band as premier vocalist before taking off as a large ensemble leader of her own, co-producing the Dan Pugach Big Band and guesting for major European big bands. She has headlined at Newport Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, and Tanglewood, along with iconic NYC jazz clubs like Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, the Blue Note, the Carlyle, 54 Below and the late, great 55 Bar. She also has appeared as a featured soloist with the Savannah Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony, and Macon Pops.
Nicole is a featured artist and producer on her husband, renowned drummer, bandleader, and composer Dan Pugach’s 2025 GRAMMY-winning album, “Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence” (Best Large Ensemble) for which they composed the GRAMMY-nominated song, “Little Fears” (Best Jazz Performance). Nicole is a vocalist on the GRAMMY-winning “Last Sunday in Plains: A Centennial Celebration” alongside Jon Batiste, Keb’ Mo’, and LeeAnn Rimes. In 2024, Broadway World honored Nicole with the “Best Big Band Show” Award. Nicole's arrangement of Dolly Parton's Jolene, co-written with Pugach, was nominated for a 2019 GRAMMY®, springboarding her career and making her a household name in the modern-day jazz landscape. Nicole has collaborated with an extensive list of luminaries, including Christian McBride, David Cook, Gilad Hekselman, Veronica Swift, Benny Benack, Stephen Feifke, Cyrille Aimee, Antonio Sanchez, Dave Stryker, Omar Hakim, Rachel Z, Helen Sung, Melanie, Morgan James, Darren Criss, Livingston Taylor, and Bernard Purdie. She is a proud educator and currently vocal faculty at NYU and SUNY Purchase.
December 9, 2025
American Mural Project Now Offering Spanish Language Audio Tour of Exhibit
American Mural Project (AMP), the home of the world's largest indoor collaborative work of art, announced today the launch of a Spanish language option for the audio tour. This enhanced audio experience will now provide the stories of the workers pictured in the mural as well as insights from artist Ellen Griesedieck in Spanish. There is no additional charge to access the Spanish audio tour and guests can freely toggle between the English and new Spanish options.
Founder and Artistic Director Griesedieck states, "We are thrilled to bring this narrative experience of our mural to Spanish-speaking audiences. In the process of developing the mural, I traveled all over the United States. Time and again, I witnessed how many people in our country’s workforce rely on Spanish as their primary language. We are honored to help tell the story of the American worker in a way that embraces the labors of our nation's Latino and Hispanic communities."
The five-story, 120'-long mural can be viewed on three different observation levels. Throughout the experience, there are prompts that allow visitors to synch what they are seeing and hearing via a hand-held audio receiver. Figures represented in the mural as well as the artist share their stories making the visit a more multi-dimensional experience of the artwork and the role of work in our lives.
American Mural Project is open for visitation on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am to 5pm and Sundays from 12pm to 5pm. Admission to view the mural exhibit is $15. Discount admission is available for seniors and veterans, students, and groups. Children under 5 and over the age of 100 are admitted for free. The English and Spanish audio tours are included in your admission. Guests can purchase tickets in advance online at AmericanMuralProject.org or can purchase admission at the door. AMP is located at 90 Whiting Street, Winsted, CT.
American Mural Project ahora ofrece una visita guiada en audio en español de la exhibición
American Mural Project (AMP), hogar de la obra de arte colaborativa bajo techo más grande del mundo, anunció hoy el lanzamiento de una opción en español para su recorrido con audio. Esta experiencia auditiva mejorada ahora ofrecerá las historias de los trabajadores representados en el mural, así como las perspectivas de la artista Ellen Griesedieck, todo en español. No hay ningún costo adicional para acceder al recorrido en español y los visitantes pueden cambiar libremente entre las opciones en inglés y español.
La fundadora y directora artística, Ellen Griesedieck, afirma: “Estamos encantados de llevar esta experiencia narrativa de nuestro mural al público hispanohablante. Durante el proceso de creación del mural, viajé por todo Estados Unidos. En repetidas ocasiones observé cuántas personas en la fuerza laboral de nuestro país dependen del español como su idioma principal. Nos honra ayudar a contar la historia del trabajador estadounidense de una manera que reconozca y celebre los aportes de nuestras comunidades latinas e hispanas.”
El mural, de cinco pisos de altura y 120 pies de largo, puede apreciarse desde tres niveles de observación diferentes. A lo largo del recorrido, hay instrucciones que permiten a los visitantes sincronizar lo que ven y escuchan mediante un dispositivo portátil de audio. Las figuras representadas en el mural, así como el artista, comparten sus historias, lo que convierte la visita en una experiencia más multidimensional sobre la obra y el papel del trabajo en nuestras vidas.
