“Arta Jēkabsone is a voice that will soothe any pain or suffering. She is the guardian and ambassador of light, love, and peace. Yet, she still can bedazzle you with complex, but not overwhelming lines and melodies, and she freely takes command of harmony and rhythm.” — Composer and pianists Edgars Cīrulis
Latvian Vocalist, Composer & Arranger | Based in New York City
Latvian-born vocalist, composer and arranger Arta Jēkabsone infuses her jazz with Baltic soul and an unshakable sense of storytelling. Seamlessly blending Latvian folk melodies with contemporary jazz expression, she crafts music that is both intimate and daring. Her voice radiates warmth, clarity, and fearless emotional depth.
Jēkabsone is the winner of the Montreux Shure Jazz Voice Competition and has placed among the top three in several other prestigious international competitions, including the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Voice Competition. Her acclaimed debut album Light brims with intimacy, warmth, and crystal-clear focus.
A recipient of The Jazz Gallery Residency Commission Grant 2021/2022, she regularly premieres original works at The Jazz Gallery in New York City. In 2023, she received Latvia’s highest recognition in music: the Latvian Music Award for New Artist of the Year. In 2024, she earned an honorable mention in the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards (ASCAP Foundation) and completed an artist residency at The Church in Sag Harbor. Most recently, she was awarded a 2025 NYFA Fellowship and has been invited to join the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, where she is developing new works for big band.
Currently, Jēkabsone is working on two albums, her solo Latvian-Alternative folk-jazz music album “Dziesmu Kamoliņš”(Garland of Songs, which was released on October 16, 2025, and “Impressions of an Era” featuring Latvian Radio Bigband and Toms Rudzinskis, which will be released in the Spring 2025.
Jēkabsone’s performances invite audiences into a sonic space where heritage, innovation, and emotion converge -elevating jazz with a distinctly Baltic warmth and spirit.
Long Bio:
New York City-based Latvian singer, composer, and arranger Arta Jēkabsone is recognized for her velvety tone. Arta engages listeners with an emotional and honest, adventurous, and joyful expression of music. Her awards include a 1st place win at the prestigious Montreux Shure Jazz Voice Competition 2016, 3rd place at the 10th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Voice Competition 2021, 2nd place at Mid- Atlantic Jazz Voice Competition 2017, and 3rd prize at Ella Fitzgerald International Vocal Competition 2019. Recently, Jēkabsone was awarded The Jazz Gallery Residency Commission Grant 2021/2022. In 2023, Jēkabsone received the highest form of state recognition in the field of music, the Latvian Music Award “New Artist of the Year 2022”. ASCAP Foundation recently recognized her with an honorable mention in the 2024 Her b Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards and in May 2024 she concluded her artist residency at The Church in Sag Harbour. ASCAP Foundation recently recognized her with an honorable mention in the 2024 Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards and in May 2024 she concluded her artist residency at The Church in Sag Harbour. Most recently, she was awarded a NYFA Fellowship 2025.
Jēkabsone’s musical horizons start with simple Latvian folk song melodies, harmonies, and structures yet can reach something more complex—closer to the world of improvisation. The unifying element is storytelling. She also finds scat singing and improvisation to be adventurous aspects of her artistry. As Arta once explained, improvisation is like creating instant compositions without a score, just taking risks, and telling stories.
Unconditional love for music has been rooted in Jēkabsone’s childhood. Alongside voice, the violin has always been a part of Arta’s musical development. She calls it her heart instrument. She believes that playing the violin has been one of the determining factors in her ability to hear sounds the way she does. She plays violin the way she sings and vice versa.
Artists such as Ella Fitzerald, Bobby Hutcherson, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Flora Purim, Tatiana Parra, Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea, Hermeto Pascoal, Itibere Zwarg, Aaron Parks and Kurt Rosenwinkel have influenced her musical perspective.
In Jēkabsone’s original music, nature holds a special significance. Having grown up around forests and a river in the small Latvian town Kandava, she used to sing folk songs about nature. These songs talked about the sun, moon, birds, and Latvian women being often compared to blooming flowers. She is bonded with nature in her style of writing lyrics.
In 2017, with support from Montreux Jazz Artist Foundation Arta Jēkabsone released her debut album Light. Several projects have been completed since then, including a duo album with Erik Leuthäuser, Yesterday Still Lies Between the Floorboards, as well as Edgars Cīrulis International Group’s Aisma album Aisma Volume I. She has performed at many international jazz festivals, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Enjoy Jazz Festival, Nikolaisaal Potsdam Festival, Berne Jazz Festival, and others. A funk singer, jazz trio member, and backup singer for Sheila Ray Charles, daughter of Ray Charles, have been among Arta’s many musical endeavors. In March 2017, she attended the Montreux Jazz Academy adventure featuring prestigious mentors such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Marcus Miller, Yaron Herman, etc. Her work and performance with Electric Combo (RDKS) made her a nominee for Best Concert Recording and Best Debut in Latvia’s Music Awards Ceremony Zelta Mikrofons. Her original music project Reflections was nominated for Latvian Annual Concert 2019.
In the past few years, Arta has performed at NYC’s most imaginatively booked jazz club, The Jazz Gallery, where most of her original music has been premiered. A few of these include her debut album Light, Reflections, multidisciplinary and bilingual performance Letters to Home, and now Searching for a Song, her residency commission. Arta has been featured at The Jazz Gallery’s Lockdown Sessions alongside artists like Camila Meza, Aaron Parks, Dayna Stephens, and many others.
In recent years Arta Jēkabsone has been actively working as a composer, collaborating with artists and ensembles, creating more original work. She was commissioned to compose music for ORCHESTRA RĪGA alongside her colleague and composer Edgars Cīrulis. Together they wrote new contemporary music concert program Winter Portraits based on a fairytale by H.C.Andersen The Ice Queen. Besides her, The Jazz Gallery commission grant, her newest composition Kas Var Dziesmas Izdziedāt for mixed choir and orchestra will be premiered at the XV Latvian Song and Dance Festival in the USA this summer in Minnesota.
In 2022, Arta Jēkabsone and Erik Leuthäuser released their second studio album, BEACHFINDS, inspired by the poetry of Dean Wilson. Their original music from this album is featured in the short film Dean World, directed by Dave Lee.
As a versatile collaborator, Arta sings backing vocals for Carolina Mama, an Argentinian singer-songwriter, and Samir LanGus, a Grammy-nominated Moroccan Gnawa musician. In Fall 2025, she will be joining the newly formed NY Vocal Collective, led by Grammy-winning arranger and producer Ben Bram (Pentatonix, Pitch Perfect).
Currently, Jēkabsone is working on two albums, her solo Latvian-Alternative folk-jazz music album “Dziesmu Kamoliņš”(Garland of Songs, which is set to be release in October 2025, and “Impressions of an Era” featuring Latvian Radio Bigband and Toms Rudzinskis, which will be released in the Spring 2025.
Arta defines herself as a part of the music and is a vibrant color in the broad musical palette.
Musical Education:
Riga Cathedral Choir School Jazz and Contemporary music department (2011-2015) – taught by Latvian jazz singer Inga Bērziņa
The New School For Jazz and Contemporary Music (2015) – earned Full President Scholarship, taught by renowned artists including Janet Lawson, Reggie Workman, Billy Harper, Andy Milne and many more.
The New School Arts Management and Entrepreneurship Program (2018-2020)
Artist Residency:
Tofte Lake Center Artist Residence in Minnesota, MN Septemebr 3rd-9th, 2025)
The Church Sag Harbour Artist Residency (May 2nd – May 22nd, 2024)
Toms Rudzinskis feat. Arta Jēkabsone, at Jazz residency at the Small Guild “Jazz at the Old Riga – Small Guild Gardens” series – Mazā ģilde, Rīga, Latvia (2025)
Arta Jēkabsone & Kestutis Vaiginis Quintet feat. Jānis Rubiks, Krists Saržants & Kaspars Kurdeko at the Jazz Boat, Trakai, Lithuania (2025)
Arta Jēkabsone Solo Spring Tour – Detroit MI, Cleveland OH, Minneapolis MN (2024)
The Jazz Gallery Presents Songs of the Season Silver Bell(e)s & Holiday Harmonies feat.Arta Jēkabsone , Vanisha Gould, Rose Stoller and many more (2023)
Arta Jēkabsone & Toms Rudzinkis ” Impressions of an Era” feat.Ventspils Bigband at the Concert Hall “Latvia” (2023)
Arta Jēkabsone Quartet Latvian Concert Tour ” Viss Tikai Atgriežas” (2023)
Arta Jēkabsone Icelandic Tour (2023)
Arta Jēkabsone Solo Concert Tour “Spring Inside the Heart” Seattle, WA & Portland,OR (2023)
Arta Jekabsone 