Jazz Upstairs featuring Nishla Smith

Award-winning jazz singer Nishla Smith (UK) brings her trio to St Stephen’s for her only Sydney date of 2025. Joined by some of the city’s foremost musicians, Nishla will perform her “darkly gorgeous” original songs (Downbeat USA) threaded through with a selection of some of the 20th century’s best-loved standards.

Nishla is an artist driven by a desire to tell stories. Her unique musical sensibility drives a prolific array of musical projects. She’s recently made work for Opera North, London Jazz Festival and Manchester Collective. Her debut album, ‘Friends With Monsters’, was released on Whirlwind Recordings to critical acclaim.

Nishla is a Peter Whittingham Jazz Award Winner, International Songwriting Competition Award Winner and an alumni of London Jazz Festival’s flagship Take Five programme. She played the titular bird in Atri Banerjee’s acclaimed production of ‘Kes’, for which she won a UK Theatre Award, and has recently finished a run as ‘The Jazz Singer’, a role she originated in Emma Baggott’s 2024 adaptation of ‘A Taste of Honey’ at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.

See http://www.nishlasmith.com/ for more information.

This night will be held in the Ferguson Hall (downstairs!) at St Stephen’s. Beverages and snacks included with entry.