Wynton Marsalis will begin stepping away from his leadership role at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2027, closing a chapter that reshaped how jazz is presented, taught and sustained in the United States.

Marsalis has led the organization since its earliest days in the late 1980s, when Jazz at Lincoln Center began as a modest concert series rather than the multi-venue institution it is today. Over time, his vision helped establish jazz not only as a performance tradition, but as a repertory art form with a permanent home, a global education pipeline, and a long-term institutional future.

“It’s the perfect time to identify the next generation of leadership,” Marsalis told The New York Times last week, signaling that the shift is intended to ensure continuity rather than signal a retreat.

As reported, Marsalis will step down as artistic director in July 2027, he will remain involved in an advisory capacity through mid-2028 and continue to perform periodically with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. His role going forward, he has said, is to support the organization without directing it.

Throughout his tenure, Jazz at Lincoln Center expanded its reach through education programs that engage students at every level, from elementary classrooms to high school band competitions and professional development initiatives. The organization also cultivated a deeply interconnected community of musicians, many of whom continue to collaborate as composers, arrangers, and performers long after leaving the orchestra.

Wynton Marsalis has frequently emphasized that the institution’s strength lies in its people rather than any single figure. As leadership transitions begin, Jazz at Lincoln Center is positioning itself to carry forward the mission he helped define, while allowing a new generation to shape its future.