This 5-day event comprises a multitude of community activities for young and old, from Jazz aficionados to music, art, and literature lovers, culminating in two back to back nights of historical performances from the Marsalis Family Quintet, Arturo O’Farrill & the O’Farrill Family Quartet, and Jon Batiste.
Marshall University, a leading institution of higher education in West Virginia and the Nu Jazz Agency, announced the dates for the long-awaited Huntington International Jazz Festival to be held in Huntington, West Virginia from June 19-23, 2018. This 5-day Event comprises a multitude of community activities for young and old, from Jazz aficionados to music, art, and literature lovers, culminating in two back to back nights of historical performances from the Marsalis Family Quintet, Arturo O’Farrill & the O’Farrill Family Quartet, and Jon Batiste (of the Stephen Colbert Show).
With 5-days of community events and activities, the festival opens on Tuesday, June 19 with a premier event at the Huntington Museum of Art featuring the photographs of legendary jazz photographer, Leonard Feather. Scheduled events for the 5-Day Festival include: a recreation of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music Concert; a special one-hour discussion on understanding jazz music, a concert of children’s musical favorites set in the jazz style; a special literary discussion on the photographs, life and writings of legendary jazz bassist Milt Hinton; a feature pre-festival concert from the Marshall University Jazz Ensemble featuring NEA Jazz Master Jason Marsalis; a special exhibition of never before seen photographs culled from the Marsalis family archives and much more.
Weekend events begin on Friday June 22, with a performance from the Marshall University Jazz-MU-Tazz Summer CampKids; the first two performance rounds of the Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition finals ; followed by the headline act, the Marsalis Family Quintet (Ellis, Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason Marsalis). On June 23 Saturday’s Street Fair features arts & crafts and other activities for children, along with food & beverage stands and pop-up mini jazz concerts. Saturday’s events, June 24 will also feature 5-timeGrammy Award winner Arturo O’Farrill & the O’Farrill family Quartet in a Latin Jazz concert and the final two performance rounds of the Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition. The Final Evening of the inaugural festival will conclude with the Awards Ceremony announcing the First, Second, and Third Place Winners of the Competition, along with other special awards and a final headline performance by the Jon Batiste Trio.
“I believe this to be a groundbreaking event for music as well as the state of West Virginia,” said NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis. “The City of Huntington’s residents deserve to have a rich cultural experience based in their own community, which they can share with the tri-state area. Now, for the first time they can celebrate America’s music and the cultural diversity it represents in the Mountain state.”
“Marshall University has been important to the state of West Virginia and seminal to the City of Huntington. Their dedication to the people in the community and to Jazz music makes them our ideal partner for the Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition and Huntington International Jazz Festival,“ said Jerald Miller, Managing Director of the Nu Jazz Agency. “The tri-state area is such a tremendous resource to the state and to our entire country, that the idea of launching the first international jazz event of this kind is a dream come true for all of us. I believe that in the years to come, this event will help to build a stronger community and broader appreciation for Jazz music, the performing arts, and a host of other art forms in this area.”
The Jazz Studies program led by Dr. Martin Saunders offers thirteen jazz courses focused on performance, arranging and history along with peripheral courses in music technology and music production, as well as an array of performance opportunities and ensembles. All this, in addition to regular guest artists like (26) time Downbeat Critic’s & Reader’s Poll award winner Steve Turre, Ashlin Parker, and NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis, students are offered regular chances to engage and interact with masters of the music.
About the Huntington International Jazz Festival
The State of West Virginia’s inaugural, Huntington International Jazz Festival, will launch with an appearance by “America’s First Family of Jazz”. Co-Artistic Directors NEA Jazz Masters Ellis & Jason Marsalis will be joined by family members Branford Marsalis and Delfeayo Marsalis in a rare family performance as the headlining act. Also highlighted at the event will be performances by theStephen Colbert Show’s Jon Batiste Trio and “America’s First Family of Afro-Latin Jazz,” 5-time Grammy & Latin Grammy award winner Arturo O’Farrill, with his sons Adam O’Farrill and Zack O’Farrill.With 5-days of community events and activities, the festival opens on Tuesday, June 19 with a premier event at the Huntington Museum of Art featuring the photographs of legendary jazz photographer, Leonard Feather. Scheduled events for the 5-Day Festival include: a recreation of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music Concert; a special one-hour discussion on understanding jazz music, a concert of children’s musical favorites set in the jazz style; a special literary discussion on the photographs, life and writings of legendary jazz bassist Milt Hinton; a feature pre-festival concert from the Marshall University Jazz Ensemble featuring NEA Jazz Master Jason Marsalis; a special exhibition of never before seen photographs culled from the Marsalis family archives and much more.
Weekend events begin on Friday June 22, with a performance from the Marshall University Jazz-MU-Tazz Summer CampKids; the first two performance rounds of the Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition finals ; followed by the headline act, the Marsalis Family Quintet (Ellis, Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason Marsalis). On June 23 Saturday’s Street Fair features arts & crafts and other activities for children, along with food & beverage stands and pop-up mini jazz concerts. Saturday’s events, June 24 will also feature 5-timeGrammy Award winner Arturo O’Farrill & the O’Farrill family Quartet in a Latin Jazz concert and the final two performance rounds of the Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition. The Final Evening of the inaugural festival will conclude with the Awards Ceremony announcing the First, Second, and Third Place Winners of the Competition, along with other special awards and a final headline performance by the Jon Batiste Trio.
“I believe this to be a groundbreaking event for music as well as the state of West Virginia,” said NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis. “The City of Huntington’s residents deserve to have a rich cultural experience based in their own community, which they can share with the tri-state area. Now, for the first time they can celebrate America’s music and the cultural diversity it represents in the Mountain state.”
“Marshall University has been important to the state of West Virginia and seminal to the City of Huntington. Their dedication to the people in the community and to Jazz music makes them our ideal partner for the Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition and Huntington International Jazz Festival,“ said Jerald Miller, Managing Director of the Nu Jazz Agency. “The tri-state area is such a tremendous resource to the state and to our entire country, that the idea of launching the first international jazz event of this kind is a dream come true for all of us. I believe that in the years to come, this event will help to build a stronger community and broader appreciation for Jazz music, the performing arts, and a host of other art forms in this area.”
About Marshall University
The Marshall University Jazz Studies Program offers degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level. Jazz Studies students at Marshall University are provided the tools necessary to succeed as a professional musician in the rigorous modern music scene. With the Jomie Jazz Center (a 12,700 sq. ft. facility) housing classes, practice rooms, media facility, recording studio, rehearsal hall and performance spaces dedicated exclusively to the study of Jazz, ample resources are provided to students wishing to hone their skills in the genre.The Jazz Studies program led by Dr. Martin Saunders offers thirteen jazz courses focused on performance, arranging and history along with peripheral courses in music technology and music production, as well as an array of performance opportunities and ensembles. All this, in addition to regular guest artists like (26) time Downbeat Critic’s & Reader’s Poll award winner Steve Turre, Ashlin Parker, and NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis, students are offered regular chances to engage and interact with masters of the music.
About the Nu Jazz Agency
The Nu Jazz Agency is an international jazz music management, marketing, promotions, booking, distribution and arts consulting company. With offices in the U.S., France, Germany, and Japan, and a staff that speaks seven different languages, over the last 20 years Nu Jazz Agency has developed a client roster that is a “who’s who” of the jazz, classical, and world music industries.Contact
For more information on the Huntington International Jazz Festival or entry information visit: huntingtonjazzfest.org or call (212) 920-1494 ext. 4. For Press or media inquiries contact Jean Hardiman, University Communications Specialist at Marshall University by phone at: (304)-696-6397 or via E-mail: [email protected].For more information contact Nu Jazz Publicity.
