An important moment in jazz history arrives in Greenville on April 20.
After nearly four decades shaping one of the world’s premier jazz ensembles, Wynton Marsalis is taking a final bow as artistic director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, closing a chapter that has helped redefine jazz’s place in American cultural life.
That farewell tour stops at the Peace Center.
The band’s programs revisit cornerstone jazz repertoire such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Thelonious Monk, composers whose music Marsalis has long treated as foundational texts.
Marsalis, a trumpet player and composer who co-founded Jazz at Lincoln Center in 1987, has guided the orchestra from an ambitious educational initiative into a full-time touring ensemble with an international reputation.
Along the way, he has championed jazz as a living art form rooted in swing, blues and collective improvisation, while also commissioning new works and spotlighting lesser-known composers.
His tenure has been marked by an unusual balance – a reverence for tradition paired with a commitment to contemporary voices.
Electrifying ensemble
“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,” Marsalis said in a statement.
“I am proud of the tremendous progress we’ve made,” he said. “It is time for new leadership to take the institution to even higher ground. We are rich in emerging, extremely talented, capable, and inspired musicians and advocates. I’m very confident about the future.”
Under Marsalis’ leadership, the ensemble became known for its electrifying ensemble sound and historically informed programming. Concerts often placed jazz within a broader cultural narrative, linking the music to American history, democratic ideals and community life.
He added that the goal is to “nurture what we’ve already built” so the organization and the art form “will continue to flourish.”
Want to go?
What: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
When: April 20, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Peace Concert Hall, 300 S. Main St., Greenville
Tickets: $55 to $88
Info: 864-467-3000 or peacecenter.org
