From Classroom to Concert Hall: Highlights from the JLCO Residency

By UMS

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s February 2026 residency brought music, inspiration, and community connection to life, featuring engaging conversations with Wynton Marsalis, student performances, and visits that left a lasting mark on audiences of all ages.

Wynton Marsalis in Conversation

Celeste Watkins Hayes and Wynton Marsalis join hands at the end of the conversation. Celeste Watkins-Hayes, dean of the U-M Ford School of Public Policy, joined renowned musician Wynton Marsalis for a public conversation reflecting on America at 250 and the role of music in shaping culture and civic life. Their wide-ranging discussion invited the audience to consider how the arts influence national identity, foster dialogue, and help imagine the country’s future.

School Day Performance

Two students ask a question at the post-show Q&A.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra brought the energy of live jazz to a packed school-day performance and livestream, welcoming approximately 2,300 students, teachers, and chaperones from more than 30 schools and seven homeschools, spanning grades K–12. The daytime concert introduced young audiences to the excitement of big band music in an engaging, educational setting.

During the post-show Q&A, a first grader bravely asked to play music together with the band, sparking an impromptu rendition of “Baby Shark” that had the entire auditorium singing and clapping along. In the video clip below, watch how this joyful moment perfectly captured the spirit of the day: interactive, inspiring, and filled with the shared power of live music.

The Jungle performance with USO

Ken Kiesler conducts JLCO and USO

The U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance’s University Student Orchestra took center stage in a landmark collaboration with the JLCO, performing Marsalis’s Symphony No. 4, “The Jungle,” under the baton of USO Music Director Ken Kiesler. For the student musicians, the project offered a rare opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside world-class jazz artists in a large-scale, genre-blending work.

Wynton Marsalis smiles at Ken Kiesler during applause.

Learn more about “The Jungle” and how Marsalis draws inspiration from New York City’s vibrant, turbulent, electrifying pulse.

Children’s Hospital performance

JLCO musicians joined U-M Jazz students for a special performance at Sophie’s Place at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, sharing live music with patients, families, and healthcare workers. For those unable to attend in person, the performance was streamed directly into patient rooms, bringing the energy and joy of jazz throughout the hospital.

Coaching and Class Visits

JLCO saxophone player shows instruments to classroom of students.

In addition to their performances, musicians from the JLCO spent time in classrooms and rehearsal spaces across the community, connecting directly with young artists and students. At Duke Ellington Middle School, Community High School, and Huron High School, three student jazz bands performed for the visiting artists, receiving real-time feedback, mentorship, and encouragement. JLCO members also worked with the U-M Band Ensemble and the Washtenaw Community College jazz ensemble, sharing professional insights and engaging students in collaborative musical exchange.

JLCO Vice President Todd Stoll participated in a class visit exploring “Hot Takes vs. Deep Dives: Arts Journalism and Criticism in the Digital Age,” expanding the conversation to include how we evaluate and discuss the arts today.