Ellen Winters

Award-winning jazz vocalist Ellen Winters was raised in the Milwaukee area, but has lived throughout the Midwest during her lifetime.  She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota, but has been studying voice since the age of 15.  After attending a summer vocal jazz workshop run by esteemed director/arranger Phil Mattson, Ellen enrolled in the School for Music Vocations, where she earned an Associate’s Degree in Professional Music.  Mattson - a Grammy-nominated arranger for the PM Singers, Manhattan Transfer, Chanticleer and The Real Group - made Ellen a lead soprano in his award winning semi-professional jazz group and put her on staff at his Choral/Vocal Jazz workshops for three years.   During that time, Ellen was teaching and touring with VoicesIowa - a six voice, professional quality jazz group. Featured performances at the Montreux and North Sea Jazz Festivals in Europe; the Rocky Mountain Jazz Festival in Banff, Canada; the International Association of Jazz Educators Convention in Boston and the Monterey Jazz Festival Sea Cruise in Los Angeles highlight Ellen's three year stint with the group.  An invitation to continue her music education came from Western Michigan University Jazz Studies professor Dr. Stephen Zegree.  Ellen spent two years singing in the internationally renowned Gold Company program.  Zegree, an award winning educator, recently achieved a new level of national recognition as Nick Lachey’s “Secret Weapon,” on the NBC television show “Clash of the Choirs.”  Traveling to and from Cincinnati, OH to rehearse Lachey’s hometown choir for the competition paid off when Team Lachey took home top honors as the winner of the reality-TV competition. 

As a solo performer, Ellen has performed jazz and cabaret all over the country.  She has been featured at wonderful venues like Danny's Skylight Cabaret in New York City and Jazz in the Park, Third Ward Summer Sizzle and Summerfest main stages in Milwaukee.  Ellen continues to be sought after as a jazz and cabaret artist throughout Milwaukee and the Midwest, while working as a clinician, adjudicator, and arranger.  Ellen is also a private voice teacher in Milwaukee, WI while serving as Adjunct Faculty at Columbia College Chicago.

In September of 2006, Ellen released her 2nd solo jazz recording, Secret of Life, at one of New York City’s best cabaret venues: Rose’s Turn.  Her first solo CD, Pure Imagination, received numerous awards and garnered Ellen several Wisconsin Area Music Industry nominations over the last several years.  Ellen was voted the Shepherd Express “Best Jazz Artist” in 2004, 2005 & 2006.  Ellen is signed to 251 Records, a Chicago-based independent label.

Website: http://ellenwinters.com