CCNY alumni Dan Pugach '11 with his GRAMMY® award for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble." CCNY private music instructor Pete McCann and CCNY Masters of Music student Nitzan Gavrieli also played on the album.
The City College of New York was represented in full force at the 67th Annual GRAMMY® Award. Jazz musician alumni Dan Pugach ’11 was awarded a GRAMMY® for Best “Large Jazz Ensemble” for his album "Bianca Reimagined: Paws and Persistence" by the Dan Pugach Big Band, featuring Nicole Zuraitis, on which CCNY Masters of Music student Nitzan Gavrieli played piano and CCNY Masters of Music private instructor Pete McCann played guitar.
Members of the Band, including Gavrieli, crowded the stage alongside Pugach as he made his acceptance speech. This significant accolade highlights the dedication and artistry of the musicians involved in the project. The recording is particularly meaningful as it is dedicated to Pugach's late dog, Bianca, symbolizing the deep emotional connection that inspired the music. Pugach is an avid supporter of pet adoption.
“I got to CCNY City College of New York in 2009 in order to pursue a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance,” said Pugach. “My mentor was pianist composer Mike Holober who pushed me to pursue arranging and composition for large jazz ensemble. Winning a GRAMMY®️ for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album with an original big band album is a direct result of everything I got exposed to during CCNY which shaped my musical and professional growth.”
The Dan Pugach Big Band was also nominated this year in the category of “Best Jazz Performance” for the song “Little Fears” from the “Bianca Reimagined” album.
While this is both McCann and Gavrieli’s first GRAMMY® nomination, this is Pugach’s third and his first major win. He was the featured drummer on the 2024 GRAMMY® Award winning album “How Love Begins,” co-produced by Nicole Zuraitis and Christian McBride.
Pugach is a three-time recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Jazz Composer Award, a winner of the BMI Charlie Parker Composition Prize/Manny Albam Commission as part of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, and a Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency Program participant at the Kennedy Center.
Jazz guitarist McCann recently released “Without Question.” A sought-after sideman, McCann has played guitar on over 100 CDs. He’s performed at Carnegie Hall, jazz clubs and festivals, and played in 20 countries. McCann received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and has taught at New York University, The New School, and the Maine Jazz Camp. He has written articles for “Guitar Player” and “DownBeat” magazines and was featured in the NYC Jazz Guitar Summit for the True Fire video series.
Israeli pianist and composer Gavrieli arrived in New York in 2007 and has since become an in-demand musician and recording artist. His music builds on the traditional format of the jazz piano trio, while incorporating classical and middle eastern music. He leads a jazz trio and plans to record his second album this year. He’s toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe, and played in top venues and jazz festivals, including Blue Note, Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center. Nitzan is musical director for Pulitzer-Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks.
About The City College of New York
Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided a high-quality and affordable education to generations of New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. CCNY embraces its position at the forefront of social change. It is ranked #1 by the Harvard-based Opportunity Insights out of 369 selective public colleges in the United States on the overall mobility index. This measure reflects both access and outcomes, representing the likelihood that a student at CCNY can move up two or more income quintiles. Education research organization Degree Choices ranks CCNY #1 nationally among universities for economic return on investment. In addition, the Center for World University Rankings places CCNY in the top 1.8% of universities worldwide in terms of academic excellence. Labor analytics firm Lightcast puts at $3.2 billion CCNY’s annual economic impact on the regional economy (5 boroughs and 5 adjacent counties) and quantifies the “for dollar” return on investment to students, taxpayers and society. At City College, more than 15,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in eight schools and divisions, driven by significant funded research, creativity and scholarship. In 2023, CCNY launched its most expansive fundraising campaign, ever. The campaign, titled “Doing Remarkable Things Together” seeks to bring the College’s Foundation to more than $1 billion in total assets in support of the College mission. CCNY is as diverse, dynamic and visionary as New York City itself. View CCNY Media Kit.
Thea Klapwald
e:
tklapwald@ccny.cuny.edu