Zoë de Priester is a Dutch and Surinamese vocalist that strives to deliver stories through song. Over the last years she has been performing in local venues with different ensembles.
From a rather young age Zoë has been exposed to music by artists like Sam Cooke and Etta James. While growing up her parents owned a music venue, this is where she encountered improvised forms music for the first time. She had piano lessons from a young age, but it wasn’t until she discovered vocal jazz that she fell completely in love with music. Feeling drawn to it she began listening to artists such as Nina Simone, Carmen mcRae and Billie Holiday. Their ability to channel emotion into song inspired her.
The singer was born on the Caribbean Island Trinidad. She grew up in Groningen where she briefly attended the young talent class at the Prince Claus Conservatory in Groningen. In 2019 she moved to the Hague to begin her studies and pursue a career in music.
Now Zoë has graduated from the vocal jazz department of the royal conservatoire of the Hague. She shows great interest in the American songbook repertoire, eager to deliver the timeless messages these songs convey in her own manner. Besides jazz tradition she also draws inspiration from theater and spoken word. She composes, arranges and is currently working on her first album which is scheduled to be released in late 2024.