Wynton Marsalis, JLCO honor MLK at Elliott Hall of Music

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

January 19, 2026 Julia Moran

West Lafayette, IN — To commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) and its artistic 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.

This event continues Jazz at Lincoln Center and Marsalis’ tradition of marking MLK Day through jazz. This art form, according to JLCO, is deeply connected to the African American experience. Through a performance highlighting ensemble precision and improvisational freedom, the ensemble demonstrates jazz’s role in unity and social progress. Jazz’s cooperative nature is central to JLCO’s mission — “to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy.”

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 MLK day 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 the legacies of jazz and Dr. King display freedom, care, and the unending pursuit of equality.

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.