February 6, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Trumpeter, composer and arranger Wynton Marsalis brings his renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra to the Rose City for a one-night-only Oregon Symphony Special Events concert on March 4 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The Oregon Symphony does not perform. Media support is provided by KINKfm102.
One of the most acclaimed jazz artists and composer of his generation, Marsalis’ accomplishments in the worlds of both jazz and classical music are legendary. As a young man, he made an international name for himself as a classical trumpeter of great virtuosity and recorded with many world-class classical musicians. In 1983 he became the first and only artist to win both classical and jazz Grammy Awards in one year, a feat he repeated in 1984. In the early & #8216;90s, Marsalis left the world of classical music to concentrate on jazz, and in 1997 he became the first jazz artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for his composition “Blood on the Fields.”
Marsalis’ latest work, “All Rise,” is an evening-length 12-part composition that was commissioned and premiered by the New York Philharmonic with the LCJO and the Morgan State University Choir in December 1999, and released on CD in September 2002. As Music Director of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Marsalis spends half his year on tour with the band, bringing world-class jazz from all eras to fans around the world. In recognition of his critical role in stimulating an increased awareness of jazz in the consciousness of an entire generation of jazz fans and artists, Marsalis was named one of “America’s 25 Most Influential People” by Time magazine and one of “The 50 Most Influential Boomers” by Life magazine.
The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, composed of some of the greatest solo and ensemble jazz musicians of our time, has been in residence at Lincoln Center for over ten years. Under Marsalis’ leadership, the LCJO performs a vast repertory spanning the history of jazz, from masterpieces by composers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus, to newly commissioned works by Benny Carter, Joe Henderson, Jimmy Heath, Chico O'Farrill, members of the LCJO and others. Over the last few years, the LCJO has performed collaborations with many of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Russian National Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Boston, Chicago and London Symphony Orchestras, among many others. The LJCO has also been featured on several “Live from Lincoln Center” broadcasts, a well as numerous other television appearances. In 1999, the LCJO was designated a Cultural Ambassador of the United States of America under the White House Millennium Council Program. Marsalis and the LCJO will announce their program from the stage.
The performance is scheduled for Thursday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets range from $30 to $76 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at 503-228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (503-790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org.
Wynton Marsalis is the most accomplished and acclaimed jazz artist and composer of his generation, in addition to being a distinguished classical musician. Mr. Marsalis has helped propel jazz to the forefront of American culture through his brilliant performances, recordings, compositions, educational efforts, and his vision as Artistic Director of the world-renowned arts organization Jazz at Lincoln Center (J@LC).
Mr. Marsalis’ prominent position in the performing arts was secured in April 1997, when he became the first jazz artist to be awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in music for his work “Blood on the Fields,” commissioned by J@LC.
Born near New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 18, 1961, Mr. Marsalis began his classical training on trumpet at age 12 and gained experience as a young musician in local marching bands, jazz and funk bands, and classical youth orchestras. He entered The Juilliard School in 1979 when he was 17 years old and soon became recognized as the most impressive trumpeter at the prestigious conservatory. That year he also joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the acclaimed band in which generations of emerging jazz artists honed their craft. Mr. Marsalis made his recording debut as a leader in 1982 and over the last two decades he has produced an incomparable catalogue of close to 40 outstanding jazz and classical recordings for Columbia Jazz and Sony Classical, which have won him nine Grammy Awards. In 1983 he became the first and only artist to win both classical and jazz Grammy Awards in one year and, remarkably, repeated this feat in 1984. In 1999, he released 8 new recordings in his unprecedented “Swinging into the 21st” series, which included a seven-CD boxed set of live performances from the Village Vanguard.
Mr. Marsalis is the Music Director of the world-renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (LCJO), which spends over half the year on tour. Mr. Marsalis also devotes a significant amount of time to composing new works, many of which are commissioned from and premiered by J@LC. Mr. Marsalis’ rich body of work includes “Them Twos,” from the second collaboration between J@LC and the New York City Ballet in 1999; “Big Train,” commissioned and premiered in 1998 by J@LC; “Sweet Release,” a score for ballet written in 1996 for the LCJO and choreographed by Judith Jamison for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; “At the Octoroon Balls,” a 1995 piece performed by the Orion String Quartet with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; “Jazz: Six Syncopated Movements,” from the 1993 J@LC collaboration with the New York City Ballet; “Jump Start,” a score written for the noted dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp; “Citi Movement/Griot New York,” a three-movement composition scored for jazz septet created in collaboration with choreographer Garth Fagan; and “In This House, On This Morning,” an extended piece based on the form of a traditional gospel service, commissioned and premiered by J@LC in 1992. His latest work, “All Rise,” is an evening-length twelve-part composition that was commissioned and premiered by the New York Philharmonic with the LCJO and the Morgan State University Choir in December 1999, and released on CD in September 2002.
Mr. Marsalis is internationally respected as a teacher and spokesman for music education, having received honorary doctorates from more than a dozen universities and colleges. Through J@LC education programs, he regularly conducts master classes, lectures, and concerts for students of all ages, including the popular J@LC Jazz for Young PeopleSM concerts. He has also been featured in the TV production of “Marsalis on Music” for the Public Broadcasting System and the series “Making the Music” for National Public Radio, which won a Peabody Award in 1996. Mr. Marsalis has also written a companion book for the PBS series, as well as “Sweet Swing Blues on the Road,” a collaboration with J@LC photographer Frank Stewart.
Mr. Marsalis was named one of “America’s 25 Most Influential People” by Time magazine and one of “The 50 Most Influential Boomers” by Life magazine in recognition of his critical role in stimulating an increased awareness of jazz in the consciousness of an entire generation of jazz fans and artists. In March 2001, Mr. Marsalis was awarded the United Nations designation of “Messenger of Peace” by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and in June 2002, received the Congressional “Horizon Award.”
The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (LCJO), composed of many of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today, has been the Jazz at Lincoln Center (J@LC) resident orchestra for over 10 years. J@LC features the versatile LCJO in nearly all aspects of its programming: the LCJO performs and leads educational events in New York, across the U.S., and around the globe; in concert halls, dance venues, jazz clubs, public parks, river boats, and churches; and with symphony orchestras, ballet troupes, students, and an ever-expanding roster of guest artists. Under the leadership of Music Director Wynton Marsalis, the LCJO performs a vast repertory spanning the history of jazz, from masterpieces by composers such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus, to newly commissioned works by Benny Carter, Joe Henderson, Jimmy Heath, Chico O'Farrill, members of the LCJO and others. The LCJO currently spends over half of the year on tour. Over the last few years, the LCJO has performed collaborations with many of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Russian National Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Czech Philharmonic and the Boston, Chicago, and London Symphony Orchestras, among others. The members of the LCJO frequently conduct educational events produced by J@LC, including lectures, master classes, and Jazz for Young PeopleSM concerts while on tour, and serve as mentors in the annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival.
In 1999, the LCJO was designated a Cultural Ambassador of the United States of America under the White House Millennium Council Program. In March 2001, Mr. Marsalis was designated a United Nations Messenger of Peace by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. The LCJO has appeared on television broadcasts across North and South America, Europe, Asia (including China), and Australia, including “The Tonight Show” and six “Live From Lincoln Center” broadcasts. The LCJO was also featured in the 1999 Thirteen/WNET “Great Performances” documentary “Swingin’ with Duke.” The LCJO can be heard on the following CDs, available on Columbia Jazz: “Live in Swing City” (1999), “Big Train” (1999), “Sweet Release & Ghost Story” (1999), “Jump Start and Jazz” (1997), “Blood on the Fields” (1997), “They Came to Swing” (1994), “The Fire of the Fundamentals” (1993), and “Portraits by Ellington” (1992).
