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Commencement

National Anthem Singer: Samara McLendon

Samara McLendon is a Jazz Studies major in the Conservatory of Music.

With a voice as smooth as velvet, Samara Joy McLendon’s star seems to rise with each performance.

At only 21 years old, McLendon has performed in many of the great jazz venues in NYC, including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and Mezzrow, in addition to working with jazz greats such as Christian McBride, Pasquale Grasso, Kirk Lightsey, Cyrus Chestnut, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris.

Following her win at the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she has recorded her debut album, set to release in July of 2021. In August, she will perform at the famed Newport Jazz Festival.

McLendon was selected by the Conservatory of Music to receive the prestigious Ella Fitzgerald Scholarship for her senior year 2020–2021. She graduates this May with a Bachelor of Music (MusB) degree in Jazz Studies.