Dan Pugach

Last updated
Dan Pugach
Born
Ra'anana Israel
Occupations
  • Composer
  • musician
  • arranger
  • bandleader
Years active2000–present
Spouse Nicole Zuraitis
Awards Grammy Award
Musical career
Genres
Instrument
  • Drums
LabelsOutside in Music Label
Website danpugach.com

Dan Pugach is an Israeli American composer, drummer, arranger, and bandleader. He won a Grammy Award in 2025 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence and is a 3x nominee. [1]

Contents

Early Life and Education

Dan Pugach was born in Raanana, Israel. He began playing the drums when he was 11 years old and as a teenager won first prize in the Israeli Jazz Performance Competition. He also won the "Extraordinary Jazz Musician" status acknowledgment by the IDF and was selected to serve three years as the official drummer for the Israeli Air Force Band. [2] During his military service he won a full scholarship to attend Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music. After graduating, Pugach moved to the United States in 2006 after receiving a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music where he earned a Bachelor of Music Degree. [3] He later attended the City College of New York where he received a master's degree in jazz performance. [4]

Career

Pugach performs as the leader of the Dan Pugach Nonet and the Dan Pugach Big Band (featuring Nicole Zuraitis). He won a Grammy Award in 2025 and was nominated for two in subsequent years. He has performed at Dizzy's Club, [5] Birdland Jazz Club, [6] Blue Note Jazz Club, [7] the 55 Bar, and Smalls Jazz Club, as well as performing internationally. [8] [9]

In 2011, Pugach was selected to attend the Betty Carter’s "Jazz Ahead" Residency Program at the Kennedy Center [3] [10] and is a two-time recipient of ASCAP's "Young Jazz Composer" Award. In 2018, Pugach won the BMI Charlie Parker Jazz Competition Prize and was awarded a Manny Albam Commission Grant by the Café Royal Cultural Foundation to complete the Dan Pugach Big Band's second album with an 18-piece jazz orchestra. [11] [12]

In 2025, the Dan Pugach Big Band was listed in DownBeat's Annual Critics Polls as "Rising Star, Large Ensemble of the Year." In that same year he was awarded a "New Jazz" Grant from Chamber Music America for the Dan Pugach Nonet's 10-piece jazz ensemble. [13] [14]

Dan Pugach Big Band (featuring Nicole Zuraitis)

Pugach is the leader of the Dan Pugach Big Band. [15] They won a Grammy Award in 2025 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and Persistence as well as being nominated for Best Jazz Performance for the album's single, Little Fears, that same year. [16] The band has performed at venues including the Palace Theater and Birdland Jazz Club. [17] [18]

Dan Pugach Nonet

Pugach is the leader of the Dan Pugach Nonet. In 2018, they released their debut album, Plus One, which received favorable reviews and garnered a fair amount of jazz radio airplay. That same year Pugach was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for his arrangement of the album's single, Jolene (vocals by Nicole Zuraitis). [19] [20] [1] [21]

Awards

YearNominated workCategoryAwardResult
2025Bianca Reimagined: Music for Paws and PersistenceBest Large Jazz Ensemble Album Grammy Award Won
2024Little FearsBest Jazz Performance [1] Grammy Award Nominated
2019Bianca [22] Charlie Parker Composition Prize [11] [23] BMI Won
2018 Jolene Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals [1] Grammy Award Nominated
2013Brooklyn BluesJazz Composer Award [23] ASCAP Won
2011Discourse This!Young Jazz Composer Award [10] [23] ASCAP Won

Discography

As Leader

Source: [24]

YearAlbumArtistCredit
2023Bianca Reimagined (Music For Paws And Persistence)Dan Pugach Big Band (featuring Nicole Zuraitis)Producer, composer, arranger, drums, orchestrator
2022Live at Pinch RecordingDan PugachArranger, drums
2017Plus OneDan Pugach NonetComposer, arranger, orchestrator, drums

As Guest

Source: [25]

YearAlbumArtistCredit
2025Siren Songs Volume I and II [26] Nicole Zuraitis Drums
2024How Love BeginsDrums
Abstractions [27] Noshir Mody Drums
2020All Wandering Hearts Nicole Zuraitis Drums
2019Tonewheel [28] Leo ShermanDrums
2018Hive Mind Nicole Zuraitis Drums
2017TramontanaJuan Andrés OspinaDrums
Selective CoverageSam Blakeslee QuintetDrums
2014A Day in the Life of BorizJorn SwartDrums
YerakinaBanda MagdaSurdo
Dreamland [29] Ace ElijahDrums, string arrangements
2009More to Say (Real Life Story: Nextgen) Terri Lyne Carrington Drums

Personal life

Pugach is married to singer Nicole Zuraitis. They are advocates for fostering and rehabilitating Pit bulls. [30] [31] [22]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Grammy Artist Dan Pugach". Grammy. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Winter jazz series continues with Dan Pugach Nonet on Dec. 16". The Register Citizen. December 7, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Dan Pugach". All About Jazz. October 3, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Israeli drummer/composer Dan Pugach performs alongside his wife and singer/lyricist Nicole Zuraitis at Cliff Bell's on May 12". The Jewish News. May 6, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  5. ↑ "PHOTOS: NICOLE ZURAITIS Plays Dizzy's Club - Husband Dan Pugach on drums, Idan Morim Guitar, Sam Weber bass". Broadway World. July 25, 2025. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Dan Pugach Big Band". Edison Hotel NYC. March 10, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Dan Pugach Big Band". Blue Note Jazz. August 10, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ "DAN PUGACH & NICOLE ZURAITIS VISIT BIG BAND SCENE". Jazz88. August 11, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Nicole Zuraitis". Brisbane Vocal Jazz Festival. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  10. 1 2 "CCNY Graduate Student Receives 2011 ASCAP Award". CCNY. March 10, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  11. 1 2 "Dan Pugach Wins Charlie Parker Prize/Manny Albam Commission at BMI Jazz Composers Workshop Showcase". BMI. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Music Grant 2021 Winter Grantee Dan Pugach". CRCF. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  13. ↑ "CMA Announces $543,000 in Grants for New Jazz and Classical Compositions Supporting the creation of 19 new jazz and contemporary classical works". CMA. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Downbeat Critics Poll Complete Results page 54" (PDF). Downbeat. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  15. ↑ "Grammy Award-winning Dan Pugach Big Band comes to WP's Shea Center for Performing Arts". WBGO. July 20, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Dan Pugach Big Band". Grammy. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  17. ↑ "Dan Pugach Big Band". Palace Theater. March 20, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Top Albums 3/27/2018". WERU. April 11, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  19. ↑ "WEEKLY TOP AIRPLAY: MARCH 20, 2018". WMSE. March 20, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Top Albums 3/27/2018". WERU. March 27, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Dan Pugach: Plus One". All About Jazz. April 24, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  22. 1 2 "HOW AN ADOPTED DOG INSPIRED A GRAMMY-WINNING ALBUM". Israeli 21c. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  23. 1 2 3 "Dan Pugach". Israeli Jazz. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Dan Pugach". Apple Music. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Dan Pugach Credits". Discogs. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Nicole Zuraitis". Apple Music. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Abstractions Noshir Mody". Amazon Music. August 16, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Leo Sherman: Tonewheel". All About Jazz. December 19, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  29. ↑ "Dreamland - Ace Elijah". Band Camp. September 17, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Drummer and composer Dan Pugach pours plenty of love into his latest album 'Bianca Reimagined; Music for Paws and Persistence" by Doug Doyle". WBGO. September 18, 2024. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Connecticut jazz couple secures 2025 Grammy nominations for music dedicated to saving rescue dogs by Abby Weiss" Record Journal, Page E1, January 25, 2025
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