Grammy winners Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach open the 2026-2027 Jazz at Kleinhans season with one of today’s most inspiring musical partnerships.
One of the great joys of jazz has always been collaboration.
The music invites musicians to listen, inspire one another, and create something together that neither could create alone.
Sometimes those collaborations become lifelong artistic partnerships.
That is certainly true of Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach.
When JazzBuffalo welcomes Nicole Zuraitis to open the Jazz at Kleinhans 2026–2027 Season on Sunday, November 8, Buffalo audiences won’t simply experience one Grammy-winning artist.
They’ll experience two.
Nicole will be joined by her husband, acclaimed drummer, composer, arranger, and Grammy Award-winning bandleader Dan Pugach, whose remarkable career continues to establish him as one of today’s most important creative voices in jazz.
A Welcome Return to Buffalo
For many in Buffalo’s jazz community, Dan Pugach is already a familiar name.
His memorable appearance with the Dan Pugach Nonet in 2023 left a lasting impression on audiences, showcasing not only his exceptional drumming but also his imaginative compositions and masterful arrangements. His music possesses an energy and sophistication that reflects both a deep respect for jazz tradition and a fearless commitment to pushing the music forward.
Those who were fortunate enough to experience that performance understand why Dan has earned five Grammy nominations and why his work has attracted some of today’s finest musicians.
His Grammy-winning compositions and acclaimed recordings have firmly established him among jazz’s most respected composers and arrangers.
Now, Buffalo has the opportunity to welcome him back.
A Remarkable Musical Partnership
What makes November 8 especially meaningful is that audiences will witness one of jazz’s most inspiring artistic partnerships.
Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach are collaborators in every sense of the word.
They perform together.
They create together.
They inspire one another’s music.
Dan Pugach’s latest album, Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence (2024), featuring Nicole Zuraitis, won the 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Additionally, he was the featured drummer on the 2024 GRAMMY® Award-winning album How Love Begins, co-produced by Nicole Zuraitis and Christian McBride.
Together, they represent something rare—a creative partnership where each artist elevates the other.
A Special Moment for Buffalo
For JazzBuffalo, this is exactly the kind of moment we hope to create.
It isn’t every day that a community has the opportunity to experience two Grammy-winning artists sharing the stage—artists whose combined accomplishments include Grammy victories, multiple Grammy nominations, internationally acclaimed recordings, and performances on many of the world’s premier stages.
Yet what makes the afternoon truly special isn’t the awards.
It’s the opportunity to gather together and experience extraordinary artistry in our own city.
These are the moments that strengthen Buffalo’s cultural identity.
They remind us that internationally acclaimed music doesn’t only happen in New York City, Chicago, or Los Angeles.
It happens here.
It happens when a community believes that great music matters and comes together to support it.
Building Something Special Together
Over the past year, Jazz at Kleinhans has welcomed sold-out audiences, celebrated Buffalo’s own Harold Arlen, hosted historic performances like Emmet Cohen Presents Miles & Coltrane at 100, and continued building a community around jazz and the Great American Songbook.
Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach represent another important chapter in that journey.
They embody everything Jazz at Kleinhans hopes to celebrate: artistic excellence, creative innovation, respect for tradition, and the belief that music has the power to bring people together.
That is what makes November 8 more than the opening concert of a new season.
It is an opportunity for Buffalo to gather around two extraordinary artists whose music is helping shape the future of jazz.
We hope you’ll join us.
Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach open the Jazz at Kleinhans 2026–2027 Season on Sunday, November 8.
Their performance is included in the specially priced Jazz at Kleinhans 4-Concert Package, available through July 13.
Become part of the growing community that believes Buffalo deserves to be one of America’s premier destinations for jazz and the Great American Songbook.
Reserve your same seats for all four concerts here:
Jazz at Kleinhans
The Sound of Jazz. The Power of Song. The Pride of Buffalo.
