Lenox — Jazz-pop singer Stella Cole will perform at Tanglewood’s Linde Center at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 13, in a program presented by the Tanglewood Learning Institute. She will offer favorites from her EP “Snow!” and her recent single “Merry Christmas, Darling.” Cole’s mix of vintage glamour and modern sensibility has established her as a standout young voice in jazz, a reputation underscored by her interpretations of classics like “Moon River” and “Alfie.”
Cole has made a career out of bringing classic American songs to the digital age. Though the composers and performers she reveres—including Frank Loesser, Meredith Willson, Judy Garland, and Nat “King” Cole—never lived to see YouTube or TikTok, Cole first reached a broad audience by performing standards online during the pandemic. Her early videos drew tens of thousands of views, and artists such as James Taylor helped amplify her work by sharing her performances.
Cole was born in a small Illinois town and raised on classic Hollywood musicals. She recalls watching “The Wizard of Oz” daily as a toddler and later absorbing films like “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” and “The Sound of Music.” Without cable television, she grew up listening mostly to soundtrack albums, along with the occasional James Taylor or Norah Jones record. She says she assumed everyone listened to the same music she did until she reached high school.
At Northwestern University, Cole double-majored in theater and international relations rather than music, but she continued to sing. When the pandemic shut down live performance, she began posting videos to YouTube and TikTok. Her rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s “Everybody Says Don’t” drew immediate attention, and her take on “Moon River” further boosted her visibility. By the end of lockdown, her audience had expanded far beyond her expectations.
After graduating, Cole moved to New York City, where she began performing at venues including Birdland, the Café Carlyle, Carnegie Hall, and Madison Square Garden. In 2023, she toured the United States, Australia, and New Zealand with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, adding millions more views with interpretations of “Uptown Girl” and “Flowers.”
Her growing profile led her to Grammy-winning producer Matt Pierson, who discovered her music online and has since worked with her on three recording projects. Their newest collaboration, “It’s Magic,” features lush and romantic arrangements by Alan Broadbent and focuses on vintage love songs such as “Till There Was You,” “As Time Goes By,” and Burt Bacharach’s 1966 hit “Alfie.”
Many people hearing Cole’s singing for the first time—including her own producer—are immediately struck by the rare beauty of her phrasing, her remarkable control, and, above all, her tone. Cole says the messages she receives from listeners who find comfort in her performances have shown her how enduring these songs remain, especially in challenging times.
The Linde Center is located on the Tanglewood campus at 3 West Hawthorne Road, Lenox, MA 01240. Tickets to hear Stella Cole at Tanglewood’s Linde Center on December 13 are available here.
