C andice Hoyes
O f “Expecting,” her Fall 2026 debut album, the editors of JazzTimes declares "Hoyes has made something fearless: the towering tones of powerfully soaring, winding voice… genuinely grand, soul-filled.”
C andice Hoyes is an award-winning vocalist, composer, and archivist and the 2026-2028 Georgetown University Researcher in Residence at the Gender + Justice Institute. A first-generation Jamaican American born in Harlem, her family moved to South Florida, and she grew up immersed in reggae, soul, classical music, and the sound-system culture that shapes her imagination. Engagements this season include her debut with Chicago Symphony’s Civic Chamber Orchestra, Joe’s Pub, NYC Winter JazzFest and We Out Here Festival (UK).
H oyes takes hold of rare cut songs in need of revival, embodies and connects forgotten stories to contemporary sound all her own. “The resulting album explores Black joy, divine femininity, and Afro-futuristic jazz and soul. But for Hoyes, Expecting is also part of a larger philosophy — that history can inspire people to become more engaged with their communities, while music can create connections that endure beyond a moment of protest.” (Britt Gottschalk, Radio Milwaukee). She is a repertory soloist and member of The Harlem Chamber players, a renowned NYC based string ensemble.
H oyes first gained acclaim through her interpretations of overlooked Duke Ellington compositions and her work honoring artists such as Minnie Riperton and Charles Stepney. She has collaborated with leading musicians including Philip Glass, Jessye Norman, Wynton Marsalis, Brandee Younger, Sullivan Fortner, Moor Mother and Makaya McCraven. Her 2026 debut album 'Expecting' (La Reserve Records) is an immersive blend of jazz, soul, classic and experimental Black music traditions. She was inspired to compose by figures including Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and notably, four generations of her Jamaican-American roots. Playing through ‘Expecting’ as a whole, Hoyes interlaces each track to the next in universal yet deeply personal ways, etching in midair stories of her heritage and visionary sight. She has released two albums with the Afro-Caribbean womanist improvised electronic jazz trio Nite Bjuti: ‘Minwi’ (2026) (Intakt Records) and ‘Nite Bjuti’ (2023).
Hoyes graduated Harvard University with honors, Columbia Law School. She has been a Visiting Scholar and Lecturer since 2019, most recently at CAL Berkeley and DuBois Forum/Tufts University (2026); Amherst, Wellesley, University of Chicago, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston Atheneum and the Morgan Library and Museum (2025); Rhode Island School of Design and the Global Music Institute at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (2024).
Candice Hoyes is an endorsed Earthworks Audio artist.