Pianist Sullivan Fortner, a two-time Grammy Award winner, has released Aria (2015), Moments Preserved (2018), and Solo Game (2024), all acclaimed by critics, with the latter earning top marks — 4 stars — from DownBeat and Télérama. His latest album, Southern Nights (2025), features Fortner with a brand-new trio alongside Peter Washington and Marcus Gilmore, and has been nominated for the 2026 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. A native of New Orleans and winner of the 2024 DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star Jazz Group, Fortner studied under Roy Hargrove and Fred Hersch, and has collaborated with notable artists including Cécile McLorin Salvant, Ambrose Akinmusire, Samara Joy, Theo Croker, and Kurt Elling. Known for his virtuosity, lyrical sensitivity, and inventive approach to jazz piano, Fortner continues to assert himself as one of the leading voices of contemporary jazz.