Expose yourself to the vibrant world of jazz with two exhilarating concerts, co-presented by French May and Jazz World Ltd. 

In the first, acoustic trio Thierry Maillard, Sylvain Gagnon, and Yoann Schmidt take you on a voyage back to the best of times. Their chanson-style concert combines Maillard’s melodic expertise with his modern yet melancholic compositions. With the help of special guest CY Leo (harmonica), the trio is sure to captivate with their expert musicianship, tight interplay, and sensitive performances.

In the second, Maillard and Schmidt return with Amaury Faye for the electric Moog Project. Their collaboration is a tribute to the music of the seventies and eighties, which gave pride of place to electronic synthesisers and analogue keyboards. Maillard leads the ensemble and special guest Eugene Pao (guitar) on an enlightening sonic adventure, opening the doors of imagination through live sounds on these incredible instruments. 

Don't miss these unparalleled jazz concerts – a feast of music, creativity, and cultural interplay that will leave you inspired and uplifted.

Programme 1: French Ballad Trio

Programme 1: Tunes from the albums Ballads (2021) and Maman (2024)

Piano: Thierry Maillard

Bass: Sylvain Gagnon

Drums: Yoann Schmidt

Harmonica: CY Leo (Special Guest)

Programme 2: Moog Project

Programme 2: Tunes from the album Moog Project (2023)

Keyboards: Thierry Maillard

Keyboards and Piano: Amaury Faye

Drums: Yoann Schmidt

Guitar: Eugene Pao (Special Guest)

Thierry Maillard 

Composer, Pianist, Orchestrator

Over his thirty-year career as a pianist, composer, and orchestrator, Thierry Maillard has centred his work around mixing jazz and classical music. He entered the École normale de musique de Paris and obtained his teaching diploma at age seventeen then continued his studies at Le Centre d'informations musicales (CIM) in Paris. He won first prize in the Festival de Jazz à Aiguillon, after which he was congratulated by jury president Michel Petrucciani for his compositions.

In 2017, he released a solo piano album paying tribute to Georges Brassens, Jacques Brel, and Léo Ferré. In 2018, he formed the Thierry Maillard Big Band and produced the album Pursuit of Happiness. A second big band album was released in 2020, followed by a trio album with André Ceccarelli and Thomas Bramerie in 2021.

Maillard's latest projects demonstrate his love of variety, moving between solo performances, trios, and big bands. Standing apart from most jazz musicians, he had the exceptional opportunity to collaborate with the Prague Symphony Orchestra. In 2021, he recorded the album Birka with Sylvain Luc and Stéphane Belmondo. In the same year, he released the album Caméléon with a predominantly female ensemble of 17 musicians, considered to be pioneering in advancing the commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within the jazz spectrum.

Critics:

'Deserves a top-class rhythm section' Rondo Magazine

'Rich in talented collaborations and compositions that combine audacity and efficiency. A true sound alchemist!' Radio France

'…explore all the different facets of music, from solo piano to septet.' Radio France

Yoann Schmidt 

Drums

Yoann Schmidt began teaching himself to play the drums at the age of six. He entered the Valenciennes Conservatory at ten, where he studied under Jean-Louis Raison. Later, he met Hadrien Féraud, who introduced him to a multitude of excellent musicians, such as Biréli Lagrène, Sylvain Luc, Dominique Di Piazza, Jean-Pierre Como, Jean-Marie Ecay, Éric Le Lann, Thierry Maillard, Flavio Boltro, and more.

Schmidt played on Féraud's album Born in the 80s (2015) and the Thierry Maillard Trio album The Alchemist (2014). He participated in Thierry Maillard's big band albums Pursuit of Happiness (2018) and Zappa Forever (2019), as well as the Thierry Maillard Ensemble Caméléon album (2021). Schmidt has also toured with Dominique Di Piazza, Sébastien Charlier, and Yannick Robert as The Blues & Beyond Quartet. 

Sylvain Gagnon

Bass

As one of the most sought-after, virtuosic jazz double- and electric bassists in Asia, Sylvain Gagnon has played on hundreds of CDs and toured with local and international artists. In 2013, he embarked on a world tour with Cantopop singer Jackie Cheung, for which he played 146 concerts for 2.8 million audience members. His ability to play both double and electric bass, read well, and arrange in a number of styles makes him one of the most in-demand bassists in the region. Gagnon has collaborated with various orchestras including the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong. He has appeared on popular TV programmes including The Voice of China, Mask Kings, and more.

Critics: 

'... the virtuosity of fusion-jazz...' Le Soleil

'High flying bassist and talented composer...' Paroles et musiques

'... a solid leader...' Bassics

'... Gagnon is musically and technically supreme.' Jazz in Time

'Sylvain's fretless tone on Paix Nucléaire is incredibly warm and expressive, and his emotion-drenched solo, which climbs to the top of the six-string range, is filled with slow slides and creative runs.' Bass Player Magazine

'Sylvain Gagnon is a major actor of the Montreal jazz scene.' Voir

Eugene Pao

Guitar

Simply put, Eugene Pao is Hong Kong's most publicly recognized jazz musician; his name is synonymous with jazz in our city. Such a reputation could not be more deserving, as Pao has been at the vanguard of promoting jazz in the territory through his performances and recordings over the last twenty-plus years. Hong Kong first discovered its own guitar hero in the mid-1980s when Pao returned from his studies in the US and began playing around town. Recognition came early from leading international jazz musicians. Some of his early recordings featured legends such as bassist Eddie Gomez, blues great Jimmy Witherspoon, and saxophonist Michael Brecker.

Over the last two decades, Pao has truly established himself as Hong Kong's premier jazz guitarist. He continues to travel the world to take part in select recording projects and perform at international jazz festivals, concert halls, and jazz clubs. As a composer, he has contributed to countless TV commercials, and his film soundtracks have been nominated for Best Original Score at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Recently, Esquire Magazine featured him on the cover as one of the twenty most influential men in their 20^th Anniversary Issue.

CY Leo

Harmonica

CY Leo is a cross-genre chromatic harmonica virtuoso, composer, and singer–songwriter from Hong Kong. He won his first international harmonica award at age ten and has since won seventeen international titles including Solo World Champion at the 2019 and 2013 World Harmonica Festivals. Leo has performed on seven international cruise lines and in over twenty cities as a Hong Kong representative artist. He was invited to perform at the Times Square Ball Drop in New York City in 2022, broadcast live to billions across the globe. Leo's music has attracted commercial collaborations with global brands such as Krug Champagne, Bose, Etro, Shell, and Fortune Pharmacal. He has released two albums, Lost in Time and Angel & Demon and Free Dimension. In 2020, he was awarded Young Artist Award of the 14th Hong Kong Arts Development Awards. He was also awarded a full scholarship from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund to study at New York University. Leo currently serves as the co-artistic director of Music Lab.