Malou Oheix wins first prize at the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition
A tremendous source of pride for the CMDL! On Sunday, 11 October 2026, in Paris, Malou Oheix won the Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition, one of the most prestigious international competitions in jazz.
Following a brilliant semi-final on Saturday, 10 October, at the Fondation Louis Vuitton Auditorium, Malou qualified for the final alongside Lucy-Anne Daniels and Georgia Heers. The following day, she returned to this prestigious stage for the final round of the competition, facing an international jury comprising Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roberta Gambarini, Gretchen Parlato and Gregory Porter.
For the final, Malou chose to perform I’m Glad There Is You, by Jimmy Dorsey and Paul Madeira, as well as Madame Toulouse, by Michael Brecker. These two pieces allowed her to showcase her musical identity before an international audience and a distinguished panel of judges.
Held outside the United States for the first time, this year’s competition took place in Paris in partnership with the Fondation Louis Vuitton. For nearly four decades, it has helped discover and promote the great jazz voices of tomorrow. Previous winners include Jazzmeia Horn, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Gretchen Parlato and Veronica Swift.
Throughout the final, the entire CMDL community — teachers, alumni and current students — rallied behind Malou, following her performance with enthusiasm and pride. This award recognises her talent and hard work and is a tremendous source of joy for the whole CMDL community.
Manu Domergue, voice teacher at the CMDL, shared his pride:
“We are a long way from her student days, when Malou was already remarkable in her approach to improvisation and to the voice as an instrument. Today, she is a young artist with enormous wings, respected for her virtuosity and musicality, her distinctive approach and her humility — a truly unique musician. Astonishing and sensitive, Malou Oheix made it through the competition to reach the very top and take first place! What an emotional moment!”
Watch her final performance again
Malou Oheix performs I’m Glad There Is You and Madame Toulouse between 47:27 and 59:50: Watch the final on YouTube