Paul Lay – Jazz Concert

Program

Villa Albertine is pleased to welcome acclaimed jazz pianist and composer Paul Lay for a live concert.

Set List

• Rhapsodie in blue Extended (Gershwin)
• Nice Work if you can get it
• African Flower- Sweet Lorraine
• Retour à Ithaque
• Eole
• La javanaise

About Paul Lay

Widely recognized as one of the leading jazz pianists of his generation (Le Monde), Paul Lay is the recipient of the Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros (2014), the Prix Django Reinhardt from the Académie du Jazz, and was named Instrumental Artist of the Year at the Victoires du Jazz in 2020.

A frequent international guest (New York, Berlin, Tokyo, Mexico City…), he has built a career defined by strong artistic vision and creative versatility. As a composer and arranger, he develops original projects at the crossroads of jazz, symphonic music, and multidisciplinary creation. In 2024, he contributed to the soundtrack of Ravens by Mark Gill (presented at the Cannes Film Festival), created Waves of Light for jazz trio and chamber choir with Les Éléments, and premiered his symphonic reinterpretation of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg and the Orchestre Régional Avignon-Provence.

In 2025, he continued his dialogue with Gershwin through Un Français à New York, premiered with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire under the baton of JoAnn Falletta, marking his entry into Éditions Durand.

Through acclaimed projects such as The Party, Deep Rivers, Full Solo, and L’Odyssée, Paul Lay has developed a distinctive voice bridging tradition and modernity. His next album, Waves of Light (Libellule Records), will be released in January 2026.

Alongside collaborations with leading figures of the French jazz scene, he has been teaching jazz piano at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris since 2022, actively contributing to the training of a new generation of improvisers.

Photos: By registering for this event, you consent to being photographed and/or recorded, and authorize the organizers to use your image and likeness for promotional and archival purposes.

Security Rules: Each person attending the event must have a ticket registered in their name and a government-issued ID that matches the name on the reservation to enter the Embassy. No one will be admitted without a reservation and official ID. Due to strict security measures, please arrive on time, as doors will be closed at 7:30 pm sharp. Please allow for extra time for security screenings.

For security reasons, large bags, umbrellas, backpacks, and bike helmets are not allowed on Embassy grounds. The security team may confiscate any items considered inappropriate.

Food and Water: No food or water is allowed in the embassy.

Parking:
There is no on-site parking.

• Metered parking is available on Reservoir Road at $2.30/hour (max 4h until 10pm)
• Garage parking is available at Georgetown MedStar Health (Entrance #2, 2800 Reservoir Road NW), approx. $25 for up to 3 hours