KORI WITHERS graduated from Columbia University...
... with a degree in English Literature, then earned her Master's Degree in Musical Theatre Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. During her time at Tisch, the ASCAP Foundation awarded Kori the Max Dreyfus Scholarship for excellence in music composition. In 2005, Kori made her public debut singing “Ain’t No Sunshine” with her father at his Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York. Soon after, Kori moved back to Los Angeles, and ASCAP’s Brendan Okrent selected her to participate in the Lester Sill Songwriting Workshop for advanced songwriters. Following the workshop, Kori began performing her growing catalogue of original songs in the L.A. area. This March, she embarked on a Northeast tour of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore, ending with a showcase at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin. Accompanying herself on piano and guitar, Kori presents a no-frills, soul-in-your-face, acoustic style reminiscent of her favorite female artists, Nina Simone, Roberta Flack and Joni Mitchell. Kori continues to build her fan base in Southern California and New York City at such celebrated singer-songwriter venues as The Knitting Factory, The Bitter End, The Hotel Café, The Temple Bar, The Whisky, Room 5, Lestat’s West (San Diego) and Zoey’s Café (Ventura). This April, the uniquely crafted lyrics of Kori’s song "I Am A Book" won Second Place in the International Songwriting Competition, standing out from a crowd of over 15,000 entrants. In June, Kori won Best Song at the Hollywood West Coast Songwriters Competition, advancing her to the regional playoffs. The winners will be featured in a performance at the annual West Coast Songwriters Conference in September.