“Wynton Marsalis Lyon 2016” by Yelkrokoyade is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wynton Marsalis, founder and inaugural artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York, is stepping away from his post after nearly 40 years. The Board of Directors announced the official change on Thursday, Jan. 29, outlining Marsalis’ intent to transition out of his current role over a two-and-a-half-year adjustment period.
Marsalis’ legacy is tied to the center’s concerted efforts to uplift the jazz community and sustain its significance at the New York institution, which he founded in 1987 at age 26, having already received critical acclaim from his peers for taking home seven Grammy awards, including a three-year sweep of the Best Jazz Instrumental Solo bracket [Think of One, Hot House Flowers, Black Codes].
Jazz at Lincoln Center began as a summertime concert series before expanding into a full-scale arts organization with the specific intent to present, record, and teach jazz practices. After assuming the role, Marsalis received the high honor of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his 1997 oratorio, Blood on the Fields. Notably, he is the only musician to have won a Grammy in both jazz and classical categories in the same year.
In a statement, Marsalis says, “When we established Jazz at Lincoln Center in 1987, our goal was to build an enduring jazz institution that would both entertain and educate by exposing multi-generational audiences to an often-overlooked aspect of American culture, and I am proud of the tremendous progress we’ve made.”
He continues, “JALC and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra have always been my main artistic priority as a musician and a citizen. As JALC approaches its 40th anniversary, there couldn’t be a better time for this transition. Performing and nurturing the future of jazz and its musicians through JALC has been the honor of a lifetime, and I am very grateful to my fellow artists, the board, leadership, and staff of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and must acknowledge the incredible desire and dedication of the JLCO.”
Clarence Otis, Chairman of the Board, adds, “Wynton is among the greatest and most versatile jazz musicians and band leaders of all time who has taken performing, composing and programming to new heights, and it is with immense gratitude that we recognize his immeasurable contributions to JALC and the art of jazz.”
Wynton dared to imagine a world in which jazz is a widely experienced and celebrated art form and has worked tirelessly for most of his life to make that dream a reality. He has also been deeply committed to educating and nurturing new generations of jazz musicians, ensuring that his unique and singular brand will be carried forward,” Otis concludes.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2026-2027 season will salute Marsalis’ massive achievements as an artist and steward of the arts. The complete lineup for the upcoming season will be announced next month. For more information, visit jazz.org.
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