Proud Homewood resident, Pittsburgh native, and self-proclaimed FireShorty™️, INEZ is a multi-faceted artistic Renaissance woman. The nurtured product of two musical parents, INEZ developed an intense love of all things music and audio. INEZ, a Cum Laude, Berklee College of Music alumna, is a musical polymath for singing, music production, arranging, songwriting, drumming, and audio mixing, mastering and engineering. Building on the momentum following the 2019 release of her debut album, "Voicemails and Conversations", INEZ was featured in NPR Weekend Edition, Bandcamp Daily Essentials, and despite the confines of COVID-19, performed on the digital mainstage of The Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, headlined City Theatre's Drive-In Arts Festival at Hazelwood Green, performed on local PBS station WQED and released a stunning visual for her song, "Clouds" (featuring fellow Homewood songstress Clara Kent).
In January 2021, INEZ was named "Pittsburgh Music Artist of the Year" for 2020 by Pittsburgh's WYEP 91.3 FM and was selected as a SCALE Fellow; a fellowship supporting the advancement of Black women and femmes in music. INEZ helped kick off the 2021 NFL season, singing the "Star Spangled Banner '' at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Game in Canton, OH. In December, The Heinz Endowments, The Pittsburgh Foundation and Opportunity Fund awarded INEZ the Carol R. Brown Achievement Award as an Emerging Artist.
In 2022, INEZ was featured on the mainstage of Deutschtown Music Festival, headlined Chamber Music Pittsburgh's “Just Summer” concert series and rang in the New Year for the city of Pittsburgh, as Highmark First Night 2023 headlining performer. INEZ is currently in fellowship with Unisound's BTAR (Black Teaching Artist in Residence) program and Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting's 91.3FM WYEP/90.5 WESA - AIR (Artists in Residence) program. INEZ hopes to continue uplifting, advocating, and creating space for Black women and femmes, using love and the full-spectrum of her talents.
*Photo by Joshua Franzos