Hosted by Jeremy Irons, honoring Arturo Sandoval with tribute to Frank Gehry introduced by Special Guest Gustavo Dudamel
PARIS, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Malou Oheix, age 27, from France won the 2026 Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition presented in partnership and with the support of Fondation Louis Vuitton. The Competition Finals concluded a landmark weekend in Paris, marking the first time in its nearly four-decade history this prestigious Competition has been held outside the United States. Oheix received the $50,000 First Place Scholarship, presented onstage by Jean-Paul Claverie, Advisor to the President and Administrator of the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
Selected on Saturday by an all-star jury comprising Dee Dee Bridgewater, Roberta Gambarini, Angélique Kidjo, Gretchen Parlato and Gregory Porter, the three finalists took the stage on Sunday evening in the Fondation Louis Vuitton Auditorium.
First-place winner Malou Oheix delivered two contrasting performances, displaying captivating vulnerability in "I'm Glad There Is You" and a bold and playful interpretation of Michael Brecker's "Madame Toulouse."
Second-place winner Georgia Heers delivered a flawless performance of "Moon Don't Come Out Tonight," followed by a beautifully narrated rendition of "Thou Swell." While third-place winner Lucy-Anne Daniels offered a powerful Afro-Cuban interpretation of "Nature Boy" and a distinctive take on "Old Devil Moon."
Throughout the Competition, the vocalists were accompanied by a transformative rhythm section featuring Carmen Staaf on piano, Ben Williams on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums.
Hosted by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons, the Competition Finals & Gala transformed the Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis Vuitton into an international celebration of jazz, bringing together generations of leading artists and celebrating the music's deep and enduring relationship with Paris.
The evening honored 10-time GRAMMY Award winner Arturo Sandoval with the Institute's Maria Fisher Founder's Award, presented by Herbie Hancock in recognition of Sandoval's extraordinary artistry and contributions to jazz and music education. An international all-star ensemble featuring musical director John Beasley, Till Brönner, Terri Lyne Carrington, Nils Landgren, John Patitucci and Walter Smith III saluted Sandoval with "Caprichosos de La Habana." After accepting the honor, Sandoval took the stage for an intimate performance of Charlie Chaplin's classic "Smile" with Patitucci and Carrington.
Gustavo Dudamel, special guest of the evening, led a personal tribute to the late visionary architect Frank Gehry, a longtime Board member and friend of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. The moment took on special significance at Fondation Louis Vuitton, Gehry's architectural masterpiece in Paris, whose origins date to 2001, when Bernard Arnault met Gehry after visiting the architect's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Dudamel reflected on Gehry's life, creative spirit and far-reaching contributions to art, architecture and culture. Berta Gehry, Frank Gehry's wife, was among the guests in attendance. The tribute culminated in the world premiere of The Ever-Changing World, a new composition by acclaimed Panamanian pianist and composer Danilo Pérez, commissioned by the Institute in Gehry's honor. Pérez was joined by Till Brönner, Walter Smith III, Tineke Postma, Sébastien Surel, Pierre-François Dufour, John Patitucci and Terri Lyne Carrington for the work's two movements, "Us" and "Optimistic Chaos."
Under the musical direction of two-time GRAMMY Award-winning pianist, composer and arranger John Beasley, the Gala also traced Paris' remarkable place in jazz history. Dee Dee Bridgewater joined by Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander for "J'ai Deux Amours" as a salute to Josephine Baker.
Herbie Hancock was joined by Ambrose Akinmusire, the 2007 Institute Trumpet Competition winner, marking the centennials of Miles Davis and John Coltrane with a stirring rendition of "So What," honoring two jazz giants whose lives and legacies were deeply intertwined with Paris.
The celebration continued with an all-star interpretation of Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare," evoking the pioneering pianist's years in the French capital, before Gregory Porter brought the evening's musical journey to a fitting close with "April in Paris."
The Gala also featured the Herbie Hancock Institute Ensemble, which opened the evening with a special arrangement of the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves." These gifted young musicians from around the world receive full scholarships to attend the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance, the Institute's prestigious master's degree program at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in Los Angeles.
The Competition and Gala were presented by the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz in partnership and with the support of Fondation Louis Vuitton. The weekend's events reached audiences around the world via livestream on FLV Play, medici.tv and in 4K on YouTube.
Air transportation for the artists and the international roster of competitors was provided by United Airlines, the Official Airline of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz.
Press selects by Steve Mundinger:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/fjkukji94i163uosze5bb/AFxPehcaQvM24W0PDJIwOT4?rlkey=29gmpghf7s0in59bsnk09g2p9&dl=0
For more information on the Institute visit www.hancockinstitute.org.
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Malou Oheix from France Wins First Place in 2026 Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition at Fondation Louis Vuitton
New HORIZON 30 Series projectors deliver bright images, deep contrast and smooth 4K 120Hz performance with flexible setup for movies, sports, gaming and more.
CHENGDU, China, Oct. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its first preview at IFA 2026, XGIMI, a global leader in premium smart projection and home entertainment, today announced the HORIZON 30 Series, the new generation of high-performance home projectors designed to make big-screen entertainment work for more of what people watch – and more of the rooms they watch it in.
Available in three models – HORIZON 30 Pro, HORIZON 30 Max and HORIZON 30 Ultra Max – the new series combines RGB Triple Laser technology with up to 6,000 ISO lumens of brightness, native contrast up to 10,000:1, and 4K 120Hz performance.
Compared to the HORIZON 20 Series, the new collection delivers seven times the native contrast, and twice the refresh rate – helping pictures stay brighter in rooms with ambient light, revealing greater depth in dark scenes, and making fast-moving content look smoother.
Picture Perfect, Day or Night
Great entertainment shouldn't wait until the lights go down. The HORIZON 30 Series is designed to adapt as the room, content, and occasion change.
Powered by an RGB Triple Laser light source, the series reaches up to 6,000 ISO lumens, helping maintain a bright, vibrant picture for afternoon sports, weekend gaming, or everyday TV. When the room gets darker, native contrast of up to 10,000:1 brings greater depth and detail to shadows, giving movies and cinematic content a richer sense of dimension.
A Dual Intelligent Iris System automatically adjusts light as scenes change, bringing out more detail in both bright highlights and deep shadows. XGIMI's 19-element optical system is engineered for edge-to-edge clarity, while Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and IMAX Enhanced help deliver richer color, contrast and detail across movies, shows, and more.
The result is a projector that transitions naturally from daytime entertainment to nighttime viewing.
Every Frame, in Full Flow
While high refresh rates are often associated with gaming, the HORIZON 30 Series puts 4K 120Hz to work across everyday entertainment. The higher refresh rate keeps motion fluid and easy to follow, from tracking the ball during live sports and following fast-paced action in films to gaming with less delay between the controller and screen.
It also gives movies special treatment. The HORIZON 30 Series can display cinema's native 24fps content evenly at 120Hz, helping films retain smooth, natural motion. When it's time to game, low latency and support for VRR, ALLM and AMD FreeSync help make the same screen ready for faster, more responsive play.
Users don't have to choose between a projector made for movies, sports, or gaming – the HORIZON 30 Series is built around all three.
A Big Screen, On Your Terms
The HORIZON 30 Series brings the big-screen experience home without the need for a dedicated theater space, with a flexible design made to work around the room that's already there. Its integrated stand can tilt and rotate, while optical zoom and lens shift provide more freedom to position the picture without requiring the projector to sit directly in front of the screen. Lens Memory can even save up to five custom setups, making it easier to move between everyday TV and ultra-wide movies.
Once in place, XGIMI's Intelligent Screen Adaptation technology takes care of much of the setup automatically, adjusting the picture to fit the screen and its surroundings with minimal effort from the user.
Built-in Google TV puts movies, shows, and streaming apps in one place, while dual 12W Harman Kardon speakers with DTS Virtual:X create a more immersive, surround-like sound experience without the need for additional speakers, bringing the big screen, streaming, and audio together in one streamlined setup.
The HORIZON 30 Series at a Glance
| MODEL | HORIZON 30 Pro | HORIZON 30 Max | HORIZON 30 Ultra Max |
| Price | $2,499 | $2,999 | $3,499 |
| Pre-Order Price | $1,899 | $2,499 | $2,999 |
| Light Source | RGB Triple Laser | RGB Triple Laser | RGB Triple Laser |
| Brightness | 4,800 ISO Lumens | 5,300 ISO Lumens | 6,000 ISO Lumens |
| Native Contrast | 8,000:1 | 9,000:1 | 10,000:1 |
| Refresh Rate | 4K 120Hz | 4K 120Hz | 4K 120Hz |
| Sound | 2 x 12W Harman Kardon | 2 x 12W Harman Kardon | 2 x 12W Harman Kardon |
MODEL
HORIZON 30 Pro
HORIZON 30 Max
HORIZON 30 Ultra Max
Price
$2,499
$2,999
$3,499
Pre-Order Price
$1,899
$2,499
$2,999
Light Source
RGB Triple Laser
RGB Triple Laser
RGB Triple Laser
Brightness
4,800 ISO Lumens
5,300 ISO Lumens
6,000 ISO Lumens
Native Contrast
8,000:1
9,000:1
10,000:1
Refresh Rate
4K 120Hz
4K 120Hz
4K 120Hz
Sound
2 x 12W Harman Kardon
2 x 12W Harman Kardon
2 x 12W Harman Kardon
Pricing & Availability
The XGIMI HORIZON 30 Series is available for pre-order beginning October 12 through October 31 at XGIMI.com, with open sales beginning November 1. During the pre-order period, HORIZON 30 Pro is available for $1,899, HORIZON 30 Max for $2,499, and HORIZON 30 Ultra Max for $2,999.
All pre-orders include a choice of an XGIMI Floor Stand (Elephant Grey) or Ceiling Mount, two pairs of 3D glasses, and a $500 coupon toward the XGIMI Ascend Screen.
For more information, visit xgimi.com.
About XGIMI
Since 2013, the state-of-the-art XGIMI projectors have helped countless people worldwide to create genuinely immersive audio-visual experiences. Working with reputable partners like Google, Harman Kardon, and Texas Instruments, XGIMI builds all-in-one entertainment devices, perfected due to their user-oriented philosophy. Through industry-leading innovation, streamlined setups, and unique designs, XGIMI always strives to develop the best home and portable projectors for everyone to enjoy. XGIMI is also expanding their expertise into commercial projector technology to bring immersive experiences to more spaces. Learn more at XGIMI Projector Technology.
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
XGIMI HORIZON 30 Series Brings Smoother, Sharper Entertainment to Life with 4K 120Hz
