A Generational Moment: Welcoming Wynton Marsalis and the JLCO to Columbus

By Zach Compston, VP of Education and Community Engagement

At Columbus Jazz, our mission is to bring the highest caliber of jazz performance and accessible education to everyone in our city. On October 6th, 2026, we are thrilled to fulfill that mission in a historic way. In partnership with the Wexner Center for the Arts, we are co-presenting the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) with Wynton Marsalis in a “Jazz for Young People” performance at Mershon Auditorium – a day that will undoubtedly leave a lasting mark on our community.

This visit holds profound significance as it marks the final season of the legendary Wynton Marsalis as managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. For over 2,000 students across Ohio, this is a rare opportunity to witness a titan of American culture and one of the most important jazz ensembles in history before his retirement.

This partnership with the Wexner Center for the Arts symbolizes our shared commitment to our city’s youth. As Kathleen Felder, Senior Producer, Performing Arts at the Wexner Center for the Arts, shares:

“Jazz for Young People concerts are at the heart of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s mission — educating and inspiring the next generation of jazz listeners, artists, and supporters. We’re honored to bring this concert to students across central Ohio, giving them what’s likely a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear Wynton Marsalis live.”

For Columbus Jazz, this feels like a full-circle moment. Back in 2021, during the height of the pandemic, Columbus Jazz hosted JLCO for a virtual concert from the Lincoln Theatre here in Columbus. It was a pivotal piece of our “pandemic programming” that provided hope and connection during a time of immense uncertainty. To now welcome them in person, filling the 2,000+ seats of Mershon Auditorium with the energy of live music and eager students, is a testament to the resilience of our art form and our community.

At the time of this post, a small number of tickets remain for this historic occasion. We invite students, teachers, and lifelong jazz fans to join us in this presentation of a truly world-class ensemble and its generational leader. Students will look back years from now and remember exactly where they were when they heard this band swing.