About
"And then Sofia Almeida stands on the stage and dares to do something. She grabs John Coltrane’s 'Resolution' and makes the song explode with her singing."
- JazzWise Magazine
Sofia Almeida is a Portuguese vocalist, composer, and educator whose music bridges cultures through a global jazz sound. Her musical creations emerge from her Portuguese heritage, a deep inspiration from Brazilian music, the creative spirit of jazz, and an enduring pursuit of cultural exchange.
Born and raised on Madeira Island, Portugal, Sofia Almeida is currently based in Boston, where she recently completed a Master of Music (2026) at the Berklee Global Jazz Institute on a full-tuition scholarship, after earning her Bachelor of Music (2025) in Performance from Berklee College of Music. As an ambassador of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, she received the Foundation's support throughout her studies, in addition to multiple merit-based scholarships and awards from Berklee. Over the past four years, Sofia studied under the mentorship of jazz legends Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, Patricia Zarate, and Joe Lovano, establishing herself as an emerging voice in the global jazz scene.
A milestone in her career came in 2025, when she premiered Wayne Shorter’s symphonic 30-minute piece Gaia on the Iberian Peninsula with the Orquestra Clássica da Madeira in Portugal. She has also performed as a soloist vocalist with the GRAMMY Award-winning Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra, led by Steven Feifke and Bijon Watson, at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. Additionally, she has performed with large ensembles, including the Berklee Global Jazz Big Band and the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, as part of major Berklee productions alongside GRAMMY Award-winning artists such as Brian Blade, Tigran Hamasyan, Danilo Pérez, John Patitucci, and Joe Lovano. Her performances have graced renowned international festivals, including the Funchal Jazz Festival and the Panama Jazz Festival.
