Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00Thank you so much to Variety for honoring me as Crossover Artist of the Year.
00:05When I first started writing music, my thoughts were all over the place. I had a background in
00:10classical cello and piano, but had a deep passion for jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald,
00:16Billie Holiday, and Chet Baker, and I would hear those around the house growing up.
00:22As I got older, I felt myself drawn towards the lyricism and unapologetic storytelling
00:28offered by more current artists and songwriters. With such a varied group of artists and genres
00:35that spoke to me, I felt that I was a bit lost finding my own voice. The only real connection
00:43I could find between these sources of inspiration was some sort of emotion inside. It was clear from
00:50the beginning that if I wanted to write my own music, I was going to explore a mix of all these
00:57different genres that inspired me, and if anything, look beyond genre constraints altogether.
01:04In the last few years, I've had the privilege of introducing new generations of listeners
01:09to jazz standards and bringing them into concert halls and opera houses all over the world that I
01:14so dreamt of playing when I was younger. I've been able to unite this generation of listeners who
01:23aren't afraid of expressing their emotions and don't conform to the expectations that the world
01:28has set for them. I am eternally grateful to my fans for giving me the platform and for blowing
01:34wind into my sails. I also want to thank my family, my parents for introducing me to classical music
01:41and jazz music, and of course to my identical twin sister, Yonia, who continues to support me and make
01:47fun of me on this journey in every possible way. I also want to thank my team for taking a chance on
01:53me and sticking with me. You all form the backbone of my career. I thought that my confusion and
02:00scattered sources of inspiration were a setback, but it turns out it's the reason I have my career
02:06today, and may your perceived setbacks also become your biggest strengths. Thank you.