Presented in partnership with

Host Sponsor

Artist Hospitality Sponsor

Vocalist Tania Grubbs doesn’t just sing nice songs. She crafts stories out of well-chosen songs with love and care – and she lets the listener feel the spirit behind each note. Her voice is an integral instrument in a quintet of equals, a guiding thread that weaves everyone together whether singing a warm, engaging note, a challenging phrase, an especially stirring arrangement, a soulful turn, or hopeful sentiment. She is a graduate of Youngstown State University. While a student there, she engaged herself in learning about jazz, starting with the classic American Songbook under the mentorships of jazz studies professor Tony Leonardi. While workshopping tunes, gigging, and participating in jam sessions, Tania met her husband, bassist-Jeff Grubbs, on the bandstand.   

Jeff’s orchestral career landed the couple in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they lived for five years. While there, Tania’s musical journey gave her opportunities to sing in many jazz clubs, performed in numerous concert settings and theatre productions. Tania was a featured vocalist with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and a member of the Voices of the Boca Pops Orchestra. Then, in 1996, Jeff joined the bass section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.   Since living in Pittsburgh, Tania has been a four-time recipient of the Ready for Life Grants, founded by the Heinz Foundation. She has also been a featured vocalist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Civic Light Opera, Chamber Music Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Jazz Society, West Virginia Jazz Society, WD Packard Concert and Jazz Orchestra. In 2019 she was featured as a guest soloist with the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia. Tania also acted as Co-Music Director at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel overseeing Jazz at Andys for over 10yrs, and she is an advocate helping to cultivate jazz in Pittsburgh and beyond.