The hour-long virtual Listen Up! session was followed by an exclusive streamed concert
Internationally acclaimed musician and prolific composer Wynton Marsalis is known for his extraordinary talent, as well as his humanitarian efforts around the world. Along with other respected names within the professional music sphere, he has added his voice to the painful but necessary conversations about race relations in America.
In 1987, Marsalis co-founded Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has produced more than 100 records, won nine Grammy awards, and was the first jazz musician ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
On October 28, BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications students were treated to an hour-long virtual session with Marsalis, followed by a free streamed public performance of his new work, the “Democracy! Suite,” performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Septet.
Although Marsalis considers himself a leader in the arts world, he said that when it comes to race relations, he speaks as a citizen. He shared his insights in three individual segments: the pandemic’s impact on the arts, race relations, and the world as viewed through the lens of his composition “Ever Fonky Lowdown.”
Read the full article at BYU Arts.