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

By Zach Compston, VP of Education and Community Engagement

(Updated September 17, 2026)

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, Interim Head of Music Programming 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.”

In addition to this educational performance, we are thrilled to announce that the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra will open for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra during its evening performance at Mershon. Led by saxophonist/educator Mark Donavan (Band Director, Columbus Alternative HS), this ensemble is comprised of 18 students from across central Ohio and is the flagship of our world-class Columbus Youth Jazz Program.

For Columbus Jazz, this feels like a full-circle moment. In 2016, the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra celebrated its 25th anniversary with a marquee double-billing with the JALC Youth Orchestra at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola in New York City. Further, during the height of the pandemic in 2021, Columbus Jazz hosted the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in a live-streamed 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.

Students in attendance will look back years from now and remember exactly where they were when they heard this band swing, and a select group of student performers will now carry the memory of sharing the stage with their musical heroes. We are grateful for the partnership of the Wexner Center for the Arts, and we hope to see you on October 6!