Dan Pugach

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]

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" as well as being awarded a "New Jazz" Grant from Chamber Music America for the Dan Pugach Nonet's 10-piece jazz ensemble.^[13][14] In that same year he was included in CUNY's "50 Under 50" and was the headline act at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat, Israel.^[15][16]

Pugach is married to singer Nicole Zuraitis. They are advocates for fostering and rehabilitating Pit bulls.^[34][35][24]