University at Buffalo Center for the Arts has announced a February 2027 performance from six-time Grammy winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy as a part of her international tour starting Nov. 8. Joy will perform at the Mainstage Theatre Feb. 20, 2027 at 7:30 p.m.
The 26-year-old Bronx native grew up listening to R&B and sang in her church’s gospel choir. Music runs in her DNA: her grandparents led the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes and her father, musician and songwriter Antonio McLendon, recorded his own work and toured with gospel singer-songwriter Andraé Crouch.
Joy attended Fordham High School for the Arts where she won Best Vocalist at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington program. She continued her jazz studies at SUNY Purchase, where she met her key collaborative instrumentalists. In 2019, Joy was launched into the professional jazz world when she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.
Joy released her first album in 2021, titled Samara Joy followed by the critically acclaimed Linger Awhile (2022), which she won two Grammys for, Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist. Her latest album, Portrait (2024), also took home the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album and the NAACP Image Award of Outstanding Jazz Album.
Joy co-produced Portrait with veteran trumpeter and bandleader Brian Lynch and illustrates her deep connection with her touring band matched with lyrical depth and arrangement experience. Joy also released a five track EP Live at the Blue Note L.A. earlier this year, a recording of her sold-out April 2026 performance at the Blue Note in L.A.
“We’re so excited to welcome Samara Joy back to the Center for the Arts,” says Jamie Enser, executive director of the UBCFA. “She honors the jazz tradition while making the music feel fresh and relevant to a new generation. It’s meaningful to welcome her back at this point in her career and share that experience with our audience.”
Find more information and tickets here.
Samara Joy Tour Dates
Nov. 8: National Palace of Culture (NDK) Hall in Sofia, Bulgaria
Nov. 10: La Seine Musicale in Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Nov. 13: Festival De Jazz De Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain
Nov. 14: Teatro Monumental in Madrid, Spain
Noc. 15: Cartagena Jazz Festival in Cartagena, Spain
Nov. 17: Enjoy Jazz Festival in Mannheim, Germany
Nov. 19: Zig Zag Hall in Berlin, Germany
Nov. 20: Royal Festival Hall in London, UK
Dec. 2: Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, ON
Dec. 31: Boston Symphony Hall in Boston, MA
Jan. 29: The Parker in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jan. 31: Ponte Vedra Concert Hall in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Feb. 2: Knight Theater in Charlotte, NC
Feb. 3: The Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, VA
Feb. 5: UNCG Auditorium in Greensboro, NC
Feb. 20: University of Buffalo Center for The Arts in Buffalo, NY
Feb. 21: EKU Center for The Arts in Richmond, KY
Feb. 24: Krannert Center For The Performing Arts in Urbana, IL
Feb. 27: Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis, MN
Feb. 28: Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha, NE
Mar. 2: Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts in Kansas City, MO
Mar. 4: Highland Capital Performance Hall in Germantown, TN
Mar. 5: Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville, AR
Mar. 6: McKnight Center For The Performing Arts in Stillwater, OK
Mar. 9: Jones Hall in Houston, TX
Mar. 11: Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, LA
Mar. 12: Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center in Birmingham, AL
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