10/11/2026
Eleven outstanding young jazz vocalists from around the globe will compete in the 2026 Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition, October 10–11 in the Auditorium of the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. Presented in partnership and with the support of Fondation Louis Vuitton, the 2026 edition marks the first time in the Competition’s nearly four-decade history that it will take place outside the United States.
Hundreds of talented young vocalists from all over the world submitted applications and 11 exceptional artists were selected, forming the most internationally diverse group of semifinalists since the Competition’s founding in 1987. Six of the 11 semifinalists come from outside the United States, reflecting the global reach of jazz and the international character of this year’s Competition.
The semifinalists are: Joie Bianco of Staten Island, New York; Anouk Chemla of Paris, France; Lucy-Anne Daniels of Leeds, United Kingdom; Georgia Heers from Greenville, South Carolina; Courteney Hooper of Adelaide, Australia; Kate Kortum from Houston, Texas; Kristin Lash of Bratislava, Slovakia; Zhenxuan “Jimmy” Lin of Guangzhou, China; Malou Oheix of Nantes, France; Ashley Pezzotti from Miami, Florida; and Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim from Las Cruces, New Mexico.
These aspiring musicians will compete in the Semifinals on Saturday, October 10 from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The semifinalists will perform before a judging panel of internationally acclaimed jazz vocalists including Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roberta Gambarini, Gretchen Parlato and Gregory Porter. Each semifinalist will perform for 15 minutes, presenting three songs, including one non-jazz work, accompanied by a stellar rhythm section featuring Carmen Staaf on piano, Ben Williams on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums.
From this group, the judges will select three finalists to perform in the Competition Finals on Sunday evening, October 11 at 7:30 p.m. At stake is more than $100,000 in scholarships and prizes, including a $50,000 first-place award presented by the Fondation Louis Vuitton, a $25,000 second-place award and a $10,000 third-place award. The evening will culminate with an All-Star Gala Concert featuring Herbie Hancock, Ambrose Akinmusire, Monty Alexander, Till Brönner, Terri Lyne Carrington, Nils Landgren, John Patitucci, Danilo Pérez, Tineke Postma, and other artists, with John Beasley serving as Musical Director. Renowned jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval will receive the Institute’s Maria Fisher Founder’s Award in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to jazz and music education, joining a distinguished group of past recipients that includes Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Wayne Shorter and Stevie Wonder, among others.
United Airlines, the Official Airline Partner of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, is providing travel to Paris for artists and competitors from throughout the world, bringing together the international community of musicians participating in this year’s Competition.
About the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz preserves, perpetuates and expands jazz as a global art form and utilizes jazz as a means to unite people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities. The Institute is a nonprofit education organization offering the world’s most promising young musicians college-level training by internationally acclaimed jazz masters and presenting public school music education programs for young people around the world. All of the Institute’s programs are provided free of charge to students, schools and communities worldwide. These programs use jazz as the medium to encourage imaginative thinking, creativity, a positive self-image, and respect for one’s own and others’ cultural heritage. Jazz great Herbie Hancock serves as the Institute’s chairman.
About Fondation Louis Vuitton
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is a leading cultural institution dedicated to making art accessible to all. The Fondation presents a dynamic program of contemporary and modern art exhibitions and live performances across disciplines, including a strong commitment to classical and jazz music programming in its state-of-the-art Auditorium. Its iconic building was designed by the late Frank Gehry, a longtime member of the Herbie Hancock Institute’s Board of Trustees and a recipient of the Herbie Hancock Humanitarian Award. Since its inauguration in 2014, the Fondation has welcomed more than 12 million visitors, including a record 1.57 million visitors in 2025, becoming a landmark of contemporary architecture in Paris and a leading venue for international cultural programming.
