Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, is a singer, songwriter, actress & published literary writer. She is best known for playing the role of Kiki on the Emmy Award-winning Nickelodeon TV series, The Fresh Beat Band, a critically acclaimed children’s TV show. Yvette recently completed a sold-out tour that took this talented Cuban–American singer across theaters nationwide, performing for over half a million fans. She was just seen playing the role of Cha Cha in Fox's star-studded cast of "Grease: Live," alongside Vanessa Hudgens, Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, Jessie J and Keke Palmer, to name a few.
Yvette most recently played the role of Soleded Penagos on Madam Secretary and has played the role of Gina Mendes on the CBS show Criminal Minds. In 2014, she received an Imagen Award nomination for Best Actress in a Television Series. She has landed coveted roles in series like 7th Heaven and Guiding Light, as well as classic stage productions like West Side Story and Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Yvette headlined Marion J. Caffey’s 3 Mo’ Divas and played the role of Vanessa in Broadway’s 1st National Tour of In the Heights, the 2008 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. She also won a Craig Noel Award (SD Critic’s Circle) in the category Outstanding Female Lead.
Yvette’s creative flair continues on the music scene, where she has been gaining more and more attention as an artist, songwriter and producer. Last year, she signed a deal with BMG as a songwriter, and is currently in the studio working on her solo project, collaborating with some of the industries best. In 2012, she released a self-produced album titled Not Gonna Wait – The Live Sessions, as well as The Fresh Beat Band (Music From the Hit TV Show) and The Fresh Beat Band, Vol. 2.0 (More Music From the Hit TV Show), both of which instantly became hits and reached #1 on the Children’s Music chart on iTunes. She has had songs placed on NCIS: Los Angeles, co-wrote: I’ll Be The One (The Fight, Curtis Peoples) and co-produced Parle Moi for Anthony Touma’s upcoming album (Universal France). Recently, Yvette began doing music under the name Ava Gold, and her first single, "Classy," was featured on ESPN's First Take.
In addition to her songwriting and vocal talents, Yvette is a multi-instrumentalist, playing violin, guitar and piano. Music has been in Yvette’s heart for as long as she can remember, and since her first violin lesson at the age of three, the young creative soul has been immersed in a musically diverse world that established her early on as a multi-faceted artist who is comfortable in any genre. She began high school at the age of 12, sang professionally with a jazz vocal group and graduated from the University of Miami on an opera scholarship at 19 years of age. Shortly after, she took the stage with the Florida Grand Opera, performed at Carnegie Hall, and was discovered by the legendary Engelbert Humperdinck, who asked her to join him in singing the nightly duet How Do You Keep The Music Playing on his World Tour. Since then, she has performed with Ne-Yo, Jason Mraz, Wyclef Jean, Gloria Estefan, Justin Bieber & All-4-One, among others.
The young star continues to shine playing Kiki in the Nickelodeon series The Fresh Beat Band, now in its third season, with 60 episodes under its belt. Recently, The Fresh Beat Band performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, rang the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange and performed with Jason Mraz at New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall to such great feedback that Yvette reprised her collaboration with the popular singer, joining Jason Mraz on his “You Are Loved” Concert, singing a duet as well as playing violin. The Fresh Beat Band of Spies, an animated spin-off show, recently premiered on Nickelodeon and Yvette is voicing the role of Kiki.
In 2014 one of her stories was published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living With Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias. Also published that year, was The Adventures of Little Eva: The Talent Show, Yvette’s first children’s book.
Yvette considers herself very fortunate and is committed to giving back to the world. She is an advocate for Global Green, Global Campaign for Education and is a Celebrity Champion for the Alzheimer’s Association. She is also heavily involved with Rock N’ Roll Camp for Girls (LA), Empowering Girls Through Music Education.
