Clare-Raised Singer Is Australia’s Sole Pick For A Global Jazz Competition
Courteney Hooper is about to take on some of the world’s best young jazz singers, after hundreds of vocalists from around the globe threw their hats in the ring for the 2026 Herbie Hancock Institute International Jazz Vocals Competition.
Just 11 were selected, and the Clare-raised singer is the only Australian heading to Paris next month to compete in what is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious jazz competitions.
The competition has been running since 1987 and has helped launch the careers of some formidable names in jazz, including Cécile McLorin Salvant, Jazzmeia Horn, Jane Monheit and Gretchen Parlato.
On October 10, Courteney will perform three songs during a 15-minute set at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, in front of some of the biggest names in world jazz.
Three singers will progress to the final the following night, with US$85,000 in scholarships shared between the top three.
Growing Up With Music
It’s a pretty extraordinary place to find yourself when, not all that long ago, Courteney didn’t see herself as much of a singer at all.
Growing up in country South Australia in a musical family, she was far more comfortable behind a piano than standing out the front with a microphone.
Her dad, Danny Hooper, is a singer-songwriter and familiar face on the Clare Valley gig circuit, while her mum Lea is also a talented singer, so music was never in short supply at home.
“Music was an integral part of my family and was the tether that brought us all together,” Courteney said.
But despite all that singing around her, Courteney struggled to find the courage to do it herself.
“It’s funny, I never felt comfortable singing in public as a soloist, especially in front of my family!” she said.
She says singing in front of an audience was something she had secretly dreamed of doing her whole life, even if she couldn’t quite bring herself to do it back then.
“I definitely considered myself more of an instrumentalist as piano was my jam and I wanted to become a film composer!”
But somewhere along the way, the girl who preferred the piano found herself behind a microphone after all.
By her early 20s, Courteney was gigging around Adelaide, performing folk, pop and contemporary covers and originals. Jazz didn’t really enter the picture until 2021.
Finding Her Place In Jazz
It didn’t take long for jazz to get under her skin.
She became fascinated by the technical skill and expression of the musicians she was hearing and, in particular, the freedom of jazz improvisation.
Wanting to understand more led her to begin studying jazz at Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music in 2022, where vocal lecturer Lauren Kate Henderson eventually encouraged her students to apply for the Herbie Hancock competition.
Courteney decided to give it a crack, with very modest expectations.
“I thought there was absolutely no way I stood a chance amongst such incredible singers across the world,” she said.
For Courteney, entering was more about pushing herself out of her comfort zone than any expectation of making the cut.
The news she’d made the final 11 came via a 10pm phone call from the US, just as Courteney arrived home from a three-hour gig. Not surprisingly, she didn’t know what to make of it.
“I thought it was a scam!” she said.
“I was absolutely flabbergasted by the news. It was during my birthday too!”
From Clare To Paris
Jetting off for Paris on October 7 with a small crew of family members heading along for support, Courteney admits the significance of being the only Australian selected hasn’t quite sunk in yet.
“The enormity of it all really hasn’t settled in yet. I’m still in shock!”
Paris will also mark Courteney’s first performance outside Australia and, while there’s plenty riding on those 15 minutes on stage, she seems far more interested in everything she’ll learn along the way.
She’s looking forward to meeting the other singers from around the world and making the most of the chance to perform at the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
“I just want to be a sponge soaking it all in as much as I can,” she said.
Beyond Paris, there’s more music coming, with Courteney working on an album of original songs which she hopes to release soon.
Where music takes her from there, she isn’t quite sure, but for someone who only found jazz three years ago, never fancied herself much of a solo singer and entered the competition thinking she had no chance, she’s come leaping into the jazz world with one hell of a first act.
And regardless of what happens when Courteney takes to the stage on October 10, she’ll always have Paris.
