Fred Nardin Trio & Viktorija Gečytė

Fred Nardin - piano Viktor Nyberg - double bass Romain Sarron - drums Viktorija Gečytė - vocals (traditional jazz, swing, vocal jazz)

One of the most prominent French jazz pianists of his generation will be performing in Vilnius, joined by Viktorija Gečytė, who is already well-known on the Lithuanian jazz scene.

French pianist Fred Nardin is one of the most sought-after musicians of his generation. He is a laureate of the Django Reinhardt Prize from the French Jazz Academy, awarded to the French jazz musician of the year, and a winner of the "Victoires du Jazz"—the French equivalent of the jazz Grammy—for Best Group of the Year with his own Amazing Keystone Big Band, which has performed with artists such as Quincy Jones, Cécile McLorin Salvant, and Gregory Porter. Fred also served as the musical director for pop star Pascal Obispo's tour. This year, the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the title of Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

In Vilnius, he will be heard in an intimate trio format, featuring Viktor Nyberg on double bass (born in Stockholm, he studied at the Royal College of Music in Sweden, the University of North Texas, and the Paris Conservatory CNSM; today, he is one of the leading names on the Paris jazz scene) and Romain Sarron on drums (co-founder of the Amazing Keystone Big Band, who studied under American drummers Herlin Riley and Kenny Washington). French critics described the group's 2025 album "Trio +" as music that sounds "restrained, without excess, but full of soul," equally convincing in original compositions, reworked standards, and unexpected surprises—for example, when the electronic music hit "Nightcall" (Kavinsky, from the Drive soundtrack) turns into a jazz ballad.

Their guest will be Viktorija Gečytė, sometimes called a "jazz artist without borders," and for good reason: born in Lithuania, educated in the USA, and living in Paris, she has been bringing Lithuanian jazz to international stages (USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Romania, Morocco, Tunisia) for nearly two decades. She was a two-time finalist in the international Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in the USA. The French cultural weekly Télérama wrote that listening to her, "it is hard to believe that [Viktorija] did not spend her childhood in New York jazz clubs." All About Jazz praised her voice as "warm, velvety, gently rounded, never heavy," based on a sense of storytelling where "time, nuance, and restraint create the quiet power of the music." This year, she became the second woman to win the Grand Prix in the 45-year history of the Birštonas Jazz Festival (after Neda Malūnavičiūtė)—the jury recognized her "for spontaneity, playfulness, the cultivation of Lithuanian heritage, and loyalty to jazz standards." It is like a homecoming award for a voice that has dedicated most of its career to stages outside of Lithuania. Viktorija released her 2025 album "Mother," whose title and inspiration come from a poem by Jonas Mekas, together with American double bassist Gene Perla—a long-time collaborator who has played with artists such as Elvin Jones, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, and Sonny Rollins. This is their fourth joint recording.