Lea Maria Fries, born in 1989 in Switzerland, initially played the piano for five years before beginning vocal lessons at the age of 14 while in high school. From 2009 to 2014, she pursued her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Performance at the Lucerne School of Music, specializing in jazz vocals under the tutelage of Susanne Abbuehl, Lauren Newton, and Hans Feigenwinter.

In 2010, she was the sole Swiss representative and the youngest participant in the semifinals of the international Jazz Vocal Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival, with none other than Quincy Jones among the judges.

Fries continued her quest, exploring different timbres and textures. Initially residing in Berlin for four years before moving to Paris. Today, she lives and works in both Switzerland and the French capital.

Lea Maria Fries was an early sought-after sidewoman in various bands and musical styles. She collaborated with Jacques and Thomas Dutronc, Eric Legnini, Julien Herné, Macha Gharibian, and Empire of Sound and many more.

Influenced by jazz, pop, rock, electronic, and black music, she cherishes the freedom of improvisation. She blends and distills all these influences as a performer, bandleader, composer, and lyricist in her bands et.nu and her jazz quartet 22° Halo, or as a singer and performer in other projects. She collaborates as a co-author for Gauthier Toux’s “For A Word,” Louis Matute’s Large Ensemble, or Macha Gharibian.

With her versatile voice and her assured sense of rhythm, groove, and phrasing, she shines brightly in various contexts.