Opening Night. Closing Night. Jazz at Noon. Meet the Bell Artist & Bell Young Artists.

Established in 2022, the Larry J. Bell Jazz Artist and Young Artist Awards were created to recognize extraordinary jazz pianists at pivotal moments in their careers. Like the Gilmore Artist Award, recipients are selected through a confidential, multi-year process led by an anonymous committee that travels the world to experience artists in performance—without the artists ever knowing they are under consideration. When Sullivan Fortner learned he would be the inaugural 2026 Bell Jazz Artist and recipient of the $300,000 award, his reaction was immediate and joyful. When told he would need to keep the information confidential until the official announcement, he asked “Can I tell my mom?”

The Bell Young Artists, Esteban Castro and Tyler Bullock, were equally surprised. Soon after the announcement, they joined us in Kalamazoo for a celebration at the Radisson, where both performed for an enthusiastic audience of Gilmore supporters. It did not take long for patrons to recognize the depth of artistry these two young musicians bring to the stage.

You have many chances to see these musicians throughout the 2026 Festival.

Sullivan Fortner

Sullivan Fortner will complete a full-circle Festival experience in 2026—opening and closing The Gilmore Piano Festival.

He begins with a solo performance at the Festival’s Opening Night Celebration (tickets are going quickly), revisiting the spirit of his Grammy-nominated album Solo Game—a kaleidoscopic journey across acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3 organ, and other keyboards.

He returns to close the Festival with an extraordinary group of collaborators: his partner and longtime artistic collaborator Cécile McLorin Salvant; acclaimed trumpeter and composer Ambrose Akinmusire; and members of his trio, Tyrone Allen (bass) and Kayvon Gordon (drums). Together, they will explore new musical terrain where improvisation, storytelling, and collective imagination meet in a finale that promises to be both intimate and expansive.

In a recent interview with Rolling Out Music, Sullivan reflected on both the collaboration and the significance of opening and closing the Festival. Speaking about working with Salvant, he shared:

‘It goes beyond music. She connected me to Baroque dance, flamenco, and Haitian and French folk music. Her creativity pushes me outside genre walls.”

And on the responsibility of anchoring the Festival:

“It feels weighty, but it feels good. Coming back twice once at the beginning, once at the end is a real responsibility. I’m excited to see what happens. Genuinely excited.”

Don’t miss your chance to see the 2026 Bell Artist live—get your tickets below.

OPENING NIGHT: SULLIVAN FORTNER SOLO GAME | Thursday, April 30, 6 pm | Get Tickets | Concert Info

FINALE: SULLIVAN FORTNER TRIO FEATURING CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT & AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE | Sunday, May 10, 4 pm | Get Tickets | Concert Info

Tyler Bullock, 2026 Bell Young Artist

Tyler Bullock has quickly built a remarkable network of collaborators, performing alongside artists such as Samara Joy, Joel Ross, Kenny Garrett, Sean Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ulysses Owens Jr., and Curtis Lundy. Since 2022, he has served as the regular pianist for The Roy Hargrove Big Band. In 2023, he recorded with Ulysses Owens Jr.’s Gen Y Band at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studio; the resulting album spent eight weeks at #1 on the Jazz Radio Charts.

In a recent interview, Bullock reflected on the shaping forces behind his music:

“One group in particular that I have always loved is that group with Herbie, Miles, Tony, Ron and Wayne from the 60s. One short period from that group that I’ve been interested in lately is right at the end of their time together. In those records they are experimenting a lot with what became considered fusion: rock and funk influences. I’ve been experimenting with that…It’s hard to give what I’ll play a specific genre, because its not necessarily that I’m playing in a completely different genre than what’s considered jazz, but I do like to use elements from other types of music even if I’m not trying to play in that style.”

Bullock will perform at the Kool Family Community Center in Battle Creek on May 5 and at the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre on May 6 as part of the Festival’s Jazz at Noon series. Get tickets below.

TYLER BULLOCK TRIO | Battle Creek | Tuesday, May 5, 12 pm | Get Tickets | Concert Info

TYLER BULLOCK TRIO | Kalamazoo | Wednesday, May 6, 12 pm | Get Tickets | Concert Info

Esteban Castro, 2026 Bell Young Artist

A pianist and composer, Esteban Castro has written more than 50 original works, including a five-movement suite for piano trio. In 2016, they became the youngest-ever first-prize winners of the Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition. They were later selected as a finalist for the 2023 American Piano Awards.

Castro approaches performance with a composer’s perspective. When asked by jazz pianist Bill Charlap about the shaping forces of his music, he shared:

“I’ve been thinking a lot recently about a set being it’s own piece of music, rather than a collection of tunes. I’ve also been thinking about blurring the lines between improvisation and composition, because there’s a lot of ways to build throughout the course of not just an individual song, but an entire set of music if you approach it as one big piece of music. With streaming services and our infinite access to music, I’ve been really trying to listen to albums all the way through, and approach it as it’s own piece.”

Castro will also appear in the Jazz at Noon series, performing at the Kalamazoo Civic Theater on May 5, and the Kool Family Community Center on May 6. Secure your tickets below.

ESTEBAN CASTRO TRIO | Kalamazoo | Tuesday, May 5, 12 pm | Get Tickets | Concert Info

ESTEBAN CASTRO TRIO | Battle Creek | Wednesday, May 6, 12 pm | Get Tickets | Concert Info

Interestingly, both Bell Young Artists graduated from The Juilliard School in the same year—and knew one another prior to receiving the award. As the Gilmore Piano Festival proves time and again, the world of music remains both expansive and remarkably connected.

We look forward to sharing these artists—and the continued growth of the Larry J. Bell Jazz Awards—with you this spring. Explore the rest of the Festival lineup below.