Callandra (Cal) Youngleson is a South African jazz vocalist, composer and educator. She has performed internationally collaborating with some of South Africa and America's greatest jazz musicians. Callandra is a proud graduate of the University of North Texas College of Music having completed her Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies in 2019 where she was also a jazz voice teaching fellow and had the opportunity to tour and perform across Chicago, New York and Dallas as well as receive Downbeat student music awards in her time at UNT.

Callandra adores the variety and diversity that a life in music can bring. As a session vocalist, her voice is present on voice-overs from educational platforms to radio recordings. She has composed and arranged for award-winning short film, live orchestra, string quartet, meditation music, and animation. One of her main passions is sharing her infectious love for music, creativity and finding your own voice.

Jazz is one of Callandra’s greatest loves. In addition to being the current jazz voice teacher and vocal jazz ensemble leader at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, Callandra is also a voice and piano teacher at Flatts and Sharpe Music Company in Chicago. Callandra is also a jazz choir teaching artist for the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. Callandra is passionate about performing and collaborating with different musicians from around the globe.

You can catch Callandra performing with the Bluewater Kings Band as well as with other jazz groups in and around Chicago with some of the city’s brightest musicians. Callandra is working on finding ways to bring the global jazz community into closer connection and communication and to share the magnificent music and culture of South Africa with those she meets. “Music, I believe, is the greatest vessel for discovery, expression, and transformation, sharing at its core our humanity, and our desire to connect”.