Purchase College Student Wins International Jazz Competition

The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition continued its annual “search for the world’s next great jazz singer” and for the second time in the award’s brief history, a singer from Purchase College came out on top when jazz studies junior Samara Joy McLendon was named the winner for 2019. McLendon studies vocals with visiting affiliate artist Alexis Cole, who also taught Grammy award nominee, Cyrille Aimee, the first Sarah Vaughan winner from Purchase College.

McLendon took the stage on Sunday, November 24 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival. As winner, she receives a $5,000 cash award and a guaranteed slot at the 2020 Newport Jazz Festival.

Pulled from over 600 submissions, the five singers in the final round of competition were judged by a distinguished panel including Grammy and Tony Award winning performer Dee Dee Bridgewater and multi-Grammy winning bassist Christian McBride.

Pete Malinverni, associate professor of jazz studies and head of the jazz studies program, lauds McLendon as a performer and as a person.

“Ever since the day we met Samara McLendon, she has proven to be one of our hardest working, most collegial, and popular students. We in Jazz Studies look forward to working with Samara throughout the rest of her career here at Purchase, and her future career as a singer, which promises to be a most fruitful one,” he writes.

Born and raised in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, Samara McLendon has performed at many great jazz rooms such as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Mezzrow, and the Blue Note in New York City with seasoned professionals including Pasquale Grasso, Jon Faddis, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris. She has also held a position as a vocal teaching assistant for JAZZ HOUSE KiDS summer program Samara also makes time to continue to volunteer in the music department at her home church, World Changers Church New York on the Grand Concourse.

About Jazz Studies at Purchase College

The performance-driven curriculum strives to emphasize the practical, bringing “the street into the classroom.” With world-class performance and rehearsal facilities, the program enjoys an acclaimed reputation among today’s leading institutions. Jazz majors are mentored by some of the most well respected jazz artists on the scene today, including Malinverni, Todd Coolman (acoustic bass), Jon Faddis (trumpet), and David DeJesus (conductor), among many others.

About Purchase College, SUNY

Purchase College, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 universities and colleges, was founded in 1967 by Governor Nelson Rockefeller. His aspiration for Purchase was to create a dynamic campus that combined conservatory training in the visual and performing arts with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, in order to inspire an appreciation for both intellectual and artistic talents in all students. Today, Purchase College, SUNY is a community of students, faculty, and friends where open-minded engagement with the creative process leads to a lifetime of intellectual growth and professional opportunity. For more information about the College, visit www.purchase.edu.