What: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis at the University of North Texas as part of the Mary Jo and V. Lane Rawlins Fine Arts Series

When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4 (Friday). Doors open at 7 p.m. 

Where: Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 N. Interstate 35, Denton

Cost: Tickets are free for UNT students; $15 for UNT staff, faculty and alumni; and $30 for the general public. Tickets can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/JLCOatUNT. Student tickets must be claimed at the Murchison Performing Arts Center box office. Box office hours are 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; or, on the day of the event, 1.5 hours before the concert starts. For additional information, call the box office at 940-369-7802.

Parking Info: Parking is available off North Texas Blvd., to the north of the MPAC (in Lot 20 parking lot). For directions and additional information see https://thempac.music.unt.edu/directions-and-parking.

Background:

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis will perform at the University of North Texas – bringing one of the world’s greatest jazz acts to perform at the college, which debuted the world’s first jazz studies degree program.

The New York City-based group is directed by Marsalis, a trumpeter and composer who has won nine Grammy Awards and the Pulitzer Prize in Music. Marsalis will receive a citation from UNT President Neal Smatresk, to honor his role in shaping jazz music as a musician, composer and educator.

The concert, sponsored by the College of Music, the Mary Jo and V. Lane Rawlins Fine Arts Series and the President’s Lecture Series, coincides with the 75th anniversary of the founding of UNT’s jazz studies program.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to campus this semester,” said John W. Richmond, dean of the College of Music. “These artists reside at the very pinnacle of excellence in jazz performance, jazz composition and jazz advocacy.”

The 15-member Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra not only performs on its worldwide tours, but also hosts educational events. Its members will teach master classes to UNT music students on Nov. 5 (Saturday).

UNT’s premier jazz ensemble, the One O’Clock Lab Band, will perform as opening act. The band was invited to perform and won in several categories at the 2019 Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, a competition for university jazz programs at New York City's Lincoln Center.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the One O’Clock Lab Band,” said Alan Baylock, director of the One O’Clock Lab Band and UNT alumnus. “Wynton’s band is regarded as one of the finest big bands in the world, so to share the stage with them is a true honor. We’re not only looking forward to hearing Wynton and the JALC Orchestra, but we’re equally excited about those musicians hearing us. Wynton and other JALC Orchestra members will be listening to and critiquing various lab bands here, including the One O’Clock. That too, is another rare and significant opportunity.”

About the UNT College of Music: 

The College of Music is the largest public-university music program in the United States and one of the most globally respected. Faculty include internationally acclaimed artists and scholars in composition, conducting, ethnomusicology, music education, music history and performance. With more than 1,000 music events annually, you can experience world-class music anytime.