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April 29, 2011
Singing star brightens
Nikki Yanofksy is proving herself praiseworthy.
MARVIN GLASSMAN
Making her Florida debut March 18 at Arsht Centre in Miami, 17-year-old Nikki Yanofsky of Montreal took another giant step to ensure a long career by beginning a three-city tour with Three Generations of Divas, alongside jazz legends Jane Monheit and Dianne Reeves.
Yanofsky gained worldwide notice for singing “I Believe” before millions of viewers to open the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver last February. In Miami, undaunted by performing with singers old enough to be her mother and grandmother, Yanofsky sang and scatted five songs from her latest CD, Nikki, proving herself worthy of comparison to the veteran singers. Yanofsky received standing ovations for her interpretation of the George Gershwin standards “I Got Rhythm” and “The Man I Love.”
Having her maternal grandmother, who spends winters in South Florida, as well as other vacationing Canadians in the audience, added to the excitement, but it is Yanofsky’s fast-maturing voice and skill, more than the novelty of being so young, that is generating the applause and praise of critics and fellow singers.
“It is exciting to have Nikki on stage being called a young diva. I remember not that long ago being called a kid in this business. Nikki’s great interpretation of the classic songs promises a great career for her,” said Monheit of the young singer.
“Nikki at age 17 has become an exceptional performer for her ability to sing in such a mature way, to scat and to improvise, that she had to be included in our lineup in our Jazz Roots series at Arsht,” said M. John Richard, the centre’s chief executive officer.
Richard’s comments have been echoed by other promoters who have booked Yanofsky for upcoming shows. She will tour across the United States and through Europe over the summer months.
“I never take anything for granted. To be compared to great singers and performing on stage with them, well, I can’t get over it. It’s like nothing I’ve ever dreamed and everything I ever hoped for and it’s all happening so quickly and is so much fun,” beamed Yanofsky in an post-show interview.
Since singing with her father Richard’s jazz band at age 11 at a fundraiser for Maimonides Geriatric Hospital, supported by Montreal’s Jewish community, Yanofsky knew she wanted to be a singer. “I knew from a young age that I wanted to sing professionally. There is nothing better in my life to do than singing and immersing myself into my songs.”
Yanofsky’s dream came true at age 13, when she headlined the Montreal International Jazz Festival and went on to record her own CDs and to be nominated for several Juno Awards.
Yanofsky is relieved that she did not go through the process of being selected on a Canadian Idol competition to pursue her goal of becoming a professional singer.
“You can’t have judges or a poll determine who has talent or not to succeed. Singers need to go through their own growth to know how good they are. Nobody deserves to go through a narrow focus of evaluating talent,” she said.
Yanofsky started making inroads into the lucrative American market last year by making her American television debut in the PBS Special Nikki: Live in Montreal. Along the way, she was mentored by many other Jewish artists, such as Marvin Hamlisch, who featured her at age 14 in a Carnegie Hall performance in New York.
Along with her performances at the Winter Olympics, another memorable night for Yanofsky took place when she performed “On a Clear Day” and “Lazy Afternoon” in honor of her idol Barbra Streisand at the Grammy Awards in 2010.
“To perform for Barbra Streisand, well, that is a dream come true,” said Yanofsky. “My mother and I saw all her films, from Funny Girl to Yentl, and, to share the stage in her honor with Herbie Hancock, Barry Manilow and Stevie Wonder was a special moment for me. There is no singer alive than can be as perfect as Barbra Streisand.”
Beyond Canada and the United States, Yanofsky won praise last summer performing in Asia, Europe and last August at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat, Israel, a visit that was emotional for her.
“Performing in Israel was so moving. How can anyone, Jewish or not Jewish, not feel connected to the people there? I enjoyed not only performing there, but [also] seeing all the landmarks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. I definitely want to come back to Israel as often as possible.”
Although Yanofsky did not have a bat mitzvah, she and her parents support many Jewish causes, such as the Israel Cancer Research Fund, and she was going to be home to celebrate a Passover seder with her parents and brothers before resuming her tour. Her parents, Richard and Elyssa, manage her career and she remains close to them.
Upon graduating from St. George’s School in May, Yanofsky will be foregoing university, at least for now, to pursue her singing career full time.
“Nikki believes in hard work and is very grounded, so working on her music with the best teachers and mentors on tour will be as good as going to a professional music school. Nikki’s dedication to be the best singer she can be matches her talent as one of the best voices of our time,” said Phil Ramone, who produced Nikki and has worked with legendary singers Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel and Barry Manilow.
To follow Yanofsky’s tour schedule, visit nikkiyanofsky.com.
Marvin Glassman is a Toronto freelance writer.
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