Allegra Levy, a West Hartford native and Hall High School graduate, has been chosen as the winner of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Jingle Contest.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced the winner of his widely publicized NYC 2-K Jingle Contest. More than 300 people submitted entries to help promote the city’s new 2-K program, offering free childcare for 2-year-olds. Rapper Cardi B and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, both celebrated New York City natives, selected the five finalists, who were then put to a public vote.

After nearly 13,000 people cast ballots, the winner was identified on June 12 as Allegra Levy, a Manhattan-based jazz singer and songwriter who grew up in West Hartford.

“Congratulations to Allegra for creating a jingle that’s going to be stuck in New Yorkers’ heads for a long time – and for helping us spread the word about one of the most important investments we can make in working families,” Mamdani said.

Allegra’s catchy winning tune touting “Childcare for all, 2-K this fall!” will be featured in outreach and advertising campaigns promoting the new program. Listen to Allegra’s jingle here. She also made a music video of the jingle, which can be seen below.

“Winning this contest means so much to me, as a musician, independent artist, and mother of two, one of whom is about to turn 2,” said Levy (whose last name rhymes with “Chevy”). “Affordable childcare is essential for parents of young children, especially mothers like me who need and/or want to work. It should be a universal right, not a privilege.”

Named one of the top ten rising stars among jazz vocalists in the 2021 Downbeat Critics’ Poll, Levy is a 2008 graduate of Hall High School, where she was a frequent soloist at Pops ‘n Jazz. She has since appeared at most of the city’s top jazz venues and performed internationally in Europe and Asia. She has also released five albums on the historic SteepleChase record label, whose roster includes such jazz icons as Dexter Gordon and Shirley Horn.

“Fresh… exotic… and far beyond the ordinary,” declared The New York Times of 2014’s Lonely City, her debut album. Lose My Number: Allegra Levy Sings John McNeil was lauded in The New Yorker as “a showcase for Levy’s… agile vocalizing and her gift for sculpting words.”

After giving birth to her first child, Levy ventured into jazz for the juvenile set with an internationally acclaimed original children’s album, Songs for You and Me. “To me, the most beautiful melodies are ones that we can all sing together to help unite us,” she said. “That is what I aim to do with all my music, whether for children or adults.” A second family-friendly album is imminent.

See allegralevy.com for news and upcoming concert dates, including Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Nomad Jazz Festival in NYC’s Madison Square Park.

Allegra Levy. Courtesy. image

A Recording Academy Member, Allegra has been dubbed a “double-barreled talent” by JazzTimes and called “sophisticated, worldly, and swinging” by the Hartford Courant. She was a finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition for Best Children’s Song and Best Original Jazz Song. She was also a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition for her children’s song “It’s So Hard to Be You.”

A graduate of New England Conservatory, she currently serves as the Program Administration Manager at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and is on the leadership team of the Women in Jazz Organization. She lives in Manhattan with her husband JP and their two children, Stella and Otto.

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