Wynton Marsalis makes final appearance as music director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, will honor legacy of Dr. King

West Lafayette, IN — To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) and its music director Wynton Marsalis take the Elliott stage on January 31. This special performance commemorates Dr. King’s legacy, blending it with JLCO’s musical excellence. Special guests Purdue Jazz Band, will perform the opening set.

This event celebrates Jazz at Lincoln Center and Marsalis’ mission to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. This art form, according to JLCO, “is a metaphor for Democracy,” deeply connected to the African American experience. Through performances highlighting precision and improvisational freedom, the ensemble demonstrates jazz’s role in unity and social progress. “Because jazz is rooted in the blues, it inspires us to face adversity with persistent optimism.”

JLCO brings powerful artistic expression to Elliott to honor the jazz tradition’s roots in resilience, creativity, and hope. This coincides with the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. as a time to reflect on democratic progress. 

Both Jazz at Lincoln Center and Purdue Convocations work to celebrate and inspire artists, especially musicians’ influence on culture. This performance reminds audiences of the legacies of jazz and Dr. King, who display freedom, care, and the unending pursuit of equality.

At the conclusion of the 2026-2027 season, nearly 40 years after he founded Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis will step down as the organization’s Artistic Director and as Music Director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Read more at The New York Times and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

After nearly 40 years as the visionary face of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis has announced he will step down as managing and artistic director by July 2027, transitioning into an advisory role through 2028. Since the organization’s inception, Marsalis has been instrumental in transforming it from a small summer series into a world-class institution—the “House of Swing”—while tirelessly advocating for jazz as a vital pillar of American culture. As the organization initiates a global search for new leadership and aims to bolster its $150 million endowment, Marsalis emphasizes that this phased departure is designed to empower a new generation of artists and administrators, ensuring the institution’s mission flourishes far beyond his personal tenure. Read more at The New York Times.

As Marsalis approaches his final full-time season with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, we are thrilled – as always –  to have him at Purdue’s Elliott Hall of Music. This performance promises to be a very special evening, as we honor and celebrate Wynton Marsalis.  Please join us for his final appearance as music director on January 31 in the spirit of swing! Adult tickets are $25, and student tickets are just $5. Buy tickets now.

“It’s the perfect time to identify the next generation of leadership,” Marsalis, 64, said in an interview. “We want to make sure that we do what we can to nurture what we’ve already built with the understanding that this is an art form and it will continue to grow and the organization will continue to flourish.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Event

Opening Set by Purdue Jazz Band

Saturday, January 31 / 8:00 pm

Elliott Hall of Music

Student Tickets Just $5!

About Convocations

Purdue Convocations—the self-supporting performing arts presenter at Purdue University—catalyzes the curriculum, energizes the community, and distinguishes Purdue through powerful performances, illuminating discourse and extraordinary learning encounters.

Purdue University has a rich history of bringing concerts, lectures and performances to campus. In 1902, the “Lecture and Concert Course” was first offered, creating the earliest iteration of what is now Purdue Convocations and placing it amongst the oldest collegiate performing arts presenting organizations in the country. Over the years, the names and formats have changed, but one thing has remained constant—the great Convos tradition of amplifying the power of a Purdue education through arts and culture. Now, powered solely by ticket sales and generous gifts, Convos is an award-winning cultural leader that makes Purdue a dynamic place to study, work, live and play. Learn more at convocations.purdue.edu. Information about giving to Purdue Convocations is found at convocations.purdue.edu/support.

The Purdue Jazz Band, under the direction of Professor Bethany Robinson, is Purdue University’s premier jazz ensemble. Consisting of students majoring in virtually every discipline other than music, they spread the optimistic spirit of Purdue Bands & Orchestras through swing and jazz. The Purdue Jazz Band has recently received numerous awards at collegiate jazz festivals, including the North Texas Jazz Festival, the Notre Dame Jazz Festival, and the Elmhurst Collegiate Jazz Festival.

In addition to tours and performances throughout the United States, the band has participated in several international tours since 2000, performing at such prestigious venues as the Montreux, Alpine, and North Sea International Jazz Festivals. They have taken study-abroad tours to Italy (2008), Central and Eastern Europe (2011), Madrid and Barcelona (2015), and Portugal (2017).

In March 2026, the Purdue Jazz Band will return to Spain for a joint trip with the Purdue Wind Ensemble, featuring performances in Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona.

The Purdue Jazz Band has performed with numerous world-renowned jazz artists in past years, including Camille Thurman, Michael Rodriguez, Marlin McKay, Nick Finzer, Erica von Kleist, Wycliffe Gordon, Bob Mintzer, Donny McCaslin, Eric Marienthall, Allen Vizzutti, and many more.

Learn more about Purdue Bands & Orchestras at purdue.edu/bands