2026 Solo Jazz Piano Festival – Friday Headliner Performance

Friday Feature Concert

Welcome to the Vermont Jazz Center’s tenth annual Solo Jazz Piano Festival.

This festival illustrates the wide variety of jazz piano styles and approaches by calling on the pianists themselves to convey their own unique attributes while simultaneously demonstrating their direct link to the music’s lineage.

It’s revealing to compare the differences and similarities amongst pianists’ stylistic tendencies. As a group, all the pianists demonstrate a veneration for the instrument, an embrace of the jazz tradition, and a need to create a personal statement. But they all have chosen different pathways that reflect their own life experiences.

Mathis Picard’s upbringing was steeped in classical studies – his latest recording (and book) is the culmination of an 8-year-long project where he composed, performed and recorded a series of 12 preludes and fugues. Some of these pieces incorporate elements of the baroque style, but others embrace features of bebop, Latin jazz and Harlem stride. Picard is a stylistic chameleon who authentically draws from his multicultural upbringing.

Lawrence Fields is a young lion whose fleet soloing ability demonstrates a seemingly inexhaustible succession of ideas. The source of his creativity is intangible – his ideas sound original, fresh and modern. Perhaps that’s why his debut recording has received such acclaim, and why leaders like Chief Adjuah, Terri Lyne Carrington and Joe Lovano continue to seek him out as a collaborator.

A Weekend of Concerts and Masterclasses
The capstone of the festival is evening performances by our four headliners on Friday and Saturday. Saturday’s daytime, education-oriented offerings are especially important attributes of the festival’s programming. Each of the four headlining musicians will offer masterclasses that are designed for the public. These masterclasses reveal the way that each musician thinks about music and life. Saturday will also feature sets by the two emerging artists, and a round-table discussion with all six musicians.

Set I
Mathis Picard

Originally from France and Madagascar, pianist Mathis Picard finds his voice by merging his many musical and cultural backgrounds. His musical education began at the Pittsburgh Suzuki Academy and continued at the Conservatoire de Fontainebleau, the Centre de Musique de Didier Lockwood, and Chetham’s School of Music. At the age of 10, Picard was the youngest finalist in the history of the Montreux Jazz Piano Competition. Back in the States, he received his degree from the Juilliard School under the mentorship of Kenny Barron. As a performer Picard has toured the world and in 2022 served as the Umbria Jazz Festival’s Resident Artist. He is an ASCAP Next Generation of Songwriters recipient, a member of the Montreux Jazz Foundation and appeared on NPR Live performing his fugue “Mysticism Of Money in D Minor.”

Picard has released several albums as a leader including two solo recordings. He also runs The Sound Orchestra, a large-scale ensemble which performs his original works. Picard was praised by DownBeat for his “brilliant classical technique and a vivid imagination.” Picard has recorded or shared the stage with Ron Carter, Lillias White, Lee Ritenour, Kindness, Wynton Marsalis, Veronica Swift, Etienne Charles, Christian McBride, Joel Ross, Melanie Charles, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bria Skonberg, and many others. He performed on the Jazz Center’s stage in May of 2025 with Endea Owens.

Set II
Lawrence Fields

Fields is one of the more melodic players of his generation – his playing brings to mind a combination of the aesthetics of Keith Jarrett and Robert Glasper. His thoughtful improvisations and exquisite harmonic choices have earned him accolades and positions in the groups of forward-thinking leaders such as Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Chief Adjuah, Nicholas Payton, Branford Marsalis, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jeff “Tain” Watts and many others. Originally from St. Louis, Fields left his job as a computer programmer to dedicate himself to music. He attended Berklee College of Music as a James Williams Scholar. His 2024 Album, To the Surface with bassist Yasushi Nakamura and Corey Fonville earned him 4 stars and Rising Star recognition in Downbeat. Joe Lovano said: “I love playing music with Lawrence Fields. He’s full of ideas, plays with a beautiful sound and feeling and can swing! He’s always inspired – and that’s where the magic is…”