Looking Back on a Year with Our Artists

It’s been a big year for The Gilmore. We introduced the new Larry J. Bell Artist and Young Artist Awards, and many of our Gilmore Artists continue to enjoy standout seasons.

To begin, inaugural Bell Artist Award recipient Sullivan Fortner has had a remarkable year. In addition to receiving the Bell Artist Award, Fortner earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Southern Nights, a project honoring the New Orleans music he holds so dear. Critic Fred Kaplan once described Fortner’s piano style as “Erroll Garner channeled through Chico Marx,” adding that while Fortner still exudes exuberant charm, “he’s widened his range, sharpened his wit, and deepened his mastery. He is simply one of the best jazz pianists playing.”

Fortner also recently released a new album, PLAY, with trumpeter Theo Crocker. Paris Move captured the spirit of the collaboration beautifully: “There are moments in jazz when two voices meet and the air itself seems to change. The notes no longer sound like melodies but like the unfolding of a conversation—measured, intimate, and radiant with mutual understanding.”

Our 2024 Gilmore Artist, Alexandre Kantorow, has been equally busy. We are thrilled to welcome him back to the Gilmore Festival for the first time since receiving his award. Kantorow will perform with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in connection with a new Gilmore & Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra commission, American Sputnik, and will also present a solo concert featuring the U.S. premiere of a new work by Anders Hillborg—commissioned by Kantorow with assistance from The Gilmore.

Earlier this year, Kantorow received the 2025 Gramophone Piano Award for his BIS album Brahms and Schubert. He is now preparing for a major U.S. tour, with performances at Carnegie Hall, the La Jolla Music Society, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and more. (See the full tour schedule here.)

There have also been notable successes among earlier Gilmore Artists. Two Gilmore Artists received OPUS KLASSIK Awards—Germany’s highest honor in classical music. 2018 Gilmore Artist Igor Levit was awarded Concert Recording of the Year for Brahms: Piano Concertos & Solo Piano Opp. 116–119, recorded with Christian Thielemann and the Vienna Philharmonic. 2010 Gilmore Artist Kirill Gerstein received the OPUS KLASSIK 2025 Special Award for Curatorial Achievement for his ambitious double-album and book project, Music in Time of War: Debussy/Komitas.

Additionally, 1998 Gilmore Artist Leif Ove Andsnes was awarded the 2025 Jean Gimbel Lane Prize in Piano Performance from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, which includes a major recital and residencies in 2026.

And let’s not forget our Young Artists! Both Gilmore and Bell Young Artists continue to build thriving careers. Here’s a quick roundup:

• 2026 Bell Young Artists Tyler Bullock and Esteban Castro both graduated from Juilliard in 2024. Castro has completed more than 50 original works as of 2025, including a piece performed at our Festival Preview party. Bullock was selected for the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program at The Kennedy Center and headlined a trio set at The Jazz Gallery featuring original compositions and special guests.

• 2024 Gilmore Young Artist Casey Shao graduated from Princeton University this year, majoring in music and minoring in both piano performance and engineering biology.

• 2020 Gilmore Young Artist Misha Galant won the 2025 NFMC Young Artist Competition, earning a $20,000 prize and a two-year performance contract. He also recently added a master’s degree in atmospheric sciences to his already impressive master’s in piano performance.

• 2002 Gilmore Young Artist Jonathan Biss contributed a guest essay to The New York Times, titled “The Quest for Perfection Is Stunting Our Society”—a compelling read for musicians and anyone grappling with perfectionism.