THE SEMI FINALS Streamed On YouTube October 10th, but no longer available. Eleven outstanding young jazz vocalists from around the globe competed in the 2026 Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition, in the semifinals and then three finalists competed on the 11th 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 were: 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. The semifinalists performed before a judging panel of internationally acclaimed jazz vocalists including Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roberta Gambarini, Gretchen Parlato and Gregory Porter. Each semifinalist performed 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. FINAL VOCALIST WINNERS
1ST🎤Malou Oheix, Nantes, France
2ND🎤Georgia Heers, Greenville, SC
3RD🎤Lucy Ann Daniels, West Yorkshire, Leeds, UK
❤️INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY WAS FROM CHICAGO APRIL 30 - IF YOU MISSED IT, SEE THE EVENTS BELOW AND THE EVENING CONCERT. ALL STILL AVAILABLE TO WATCH ON YOUTUBE!
❤️🎹Herbie Hancock returns to his hometown of Chicago during International Jazz Day 2026 to visit his childhood home and share the incredible story behind one of his most iconic jazz compositions: "Watermelon Man."
https://youtu.be/5Mh-UBQYCLI?si=AXbXoKi1868KFlVo
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
❤️Evolution of Jazz Styles
Dr. JB Vance and the UCLA Herbie Hancock Ensemble at the Chicago High School Institute for the Arts
❤️Jazz, Film, and the Improvisational Architecture of Storytelling
Kris Bowers🎹, Marcus Miller🎸 and Herbie Hancock🎹 are a panel in Chicago that discuss what jazz means to them and their film composing careers. Fascinating and humorous at times.
