Jazz at Lincoln Center announced on Thursday that Wynton Marsalis, its founder and longtime artistic director, will begin a phased transition out of his current leadership role after nearly four decades at the helm. Marsalis will continue to serve as artistic director through the 2026–27 season, the organization said, after which he’ll remain on staff in an advisory role through June 2028. He will also continue to serve on JALC’s board of directors and perform with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on occasion.
The transition marks a significant milestone for the organization Marsalis founded in 1987, when he was already a multi-Grammy winner at just 26 years old. What began as a summer concert series has since grown into one of the world’s most esteemed jazz institutions, dedicated to performance, education, and — perhaps most impactful — advocacy for the uniquely American art form.
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Under Marsalis’ leadership, Jazz at Lincoln Center became aligned with Lincoln Center, opened Frederick P. Rose Hall in Midtown Manhattan, and built a global reputation for advancing jazz.
Marsalis’ own artistic achievements have paralleled the institution’s rise. He has since won additional Grammy Awards, and his 1997 oratorio Blood on the Fields became the first jazz composition to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Over the years, JALC has commissioned works from leading composers, nurtured emerging artists including Jon Batiste and Samara Joy, and expanded major education initiatives such as Essentially Ellington.
As part of the transition, JALC’s board has formed two committees to identify the organization’s next artistic director and executive director. The new leadership structure will feature those two roles as equal partners reporting to the board.
In a statement, Marsalis noted that as JALC approaches its 40th anniversary, “there couldn’t be a better time for this transition,” adding that the institution remains artistically strong.
“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,” said Marsalis. “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. Together, we have covered a lot of ground.”
He added: “The organization’s work continues and is as crucial as ever. I am energized and excited to be part of the future of JALC over the next few years and going forward. 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.”
Board chairman Clarence Otis praised Marsalis’ “immeasurable contributions,” calling his impact on jazz and arts education “impossible to overstate.”
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2026–27 season will serve as an international celebration of Marsalis’ career, with programming to be announced in February.