Elena Izquierdo and The Stu Weissman Trio

2025 JazzBuffalo Poll Rising Star Elena Izquierdo is joined by the Stu Weissman Trio, featuring Stu Weissman (Winner, 2024 & 2025 JazzBuffalo Poll), Avery Weissman (bass), and Nelson Rivera (Winner, 2025 JazzBuffalo Poll).

The trio was spotlighted here just last Dec 20th, and all three of these artists have been performing regularly at Pausa over the last decade with each other, other vocalists, and instrumental ensembles. Stu has a keen interest in supporting vocalists as the sole chordal instrument in the intimate ambiance that only Pausa provides.

Elena Izquierdo attributes her musical exposure to her father Guillermo, who introduced her to music from birth. By age five, she was playing piano and writing songs, exploring musical theatre, jazz, and pop. In 2015, she performed an original composition by Ben Toth at Kleinhan’s Music Hall. She was later chosen as the solo vocalist for the Legends of Jazz series at Williamsville East High School, performing with Grammy winners Bill Charlap, Regina Carter, Ernie Watts, and Veronica Swift. In 2017, she was honored as Outstanding Jazz Vocalist at the Essentially Ellington High School Competition at Lincoln Center.

Elena, a Loyola University New Orleans graduate in Popular and Commercial Music, writes and records music. She won the Outstanding Female Filmmaker award at the 2024 Bowery Film Festival for her latest music video. Her recent releases include the EP “Hard To Love,” singles “Drugs” and “Red Lights,” and she featured as a vocalist on Gorilla T’s EDM track “Ascend.”