Nearly 100 panelists, several performances, and 21 interactive panels, programs, and masterclasses will be featured at the 2021 Jazz Congress, a virtual conference designed to address the concerns and needs facing the global jazz community during this challenging, unprecedented time.
The fourth annual Jazz Congress will take place online on May 17–20, 2021. In response to the multiple challenges the pandemic has inflicted on people around the globe (not the least of which are economic) Jazz Congress registration is free of charge for all conference registrants ages 14 and up.
As part of the Jazz Congress events, Jazz at Lincoln Center and JazzTimes will give the 2021 Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award to pianist, composer, educator, and social activist Danilo Peréz who has done remarkable work in expanding the audience and the language of the music, through the Global Music Institute at Berklee and with his community development efforts in his native Panama. The award will be presented by Peréz’s colleague and 2019 Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award recipient Terri Lyne Carrington.
Jazz Congress programs include the celebratory panels “Celebrating Jimmy Heath,” and “Jon Hendricks at 100;” workshops “Livestreaming Your Virtual Performance,” “Know Your Rights: The New Frontier for Music Licensing,” “Returning to the Stage: Navigating Reopening for Presenters,” “The Roots & Branches of Afro-Cuban Jazz,” “Achieving Real Diversity in Presenting Jazz,” “Mentoring Women in Jazz;” masterclasses like “New Orleans Drumming with Herlin Riley,” “Making Arrangements,” and more.
In addition to providing free access to performances from jazz presenters around the world including SFJazz, Kuumbwa Jazz, and Igor Butman Club, Jazz Congress will feature Live From Dizzy’s sets featuring New Jazz Underground: Abdias Armenteros on May 17 at 1:30p.m. ET, and Willie Jones III on May 20 at 7:30p.m. ET.
A complete schedule and registration information can be found on jazzcongress.org.
2021 Jazz Congress Participants:
Abdias Armenteros
Adam Neely
Adonis Rose
Akua Noni Parker
Alexa Tarantino
Alexandre Pierrepont
Allison Job
Amaury Acosta
Amy K. Bormet
Angelo Miranda
Antonio Hart
Ashley Kahn
Ben Lapidus
Billy Childs
Bobby McFerrin
Brad Stone
Branford Marsalis
Bryan Carter
Carol Handley
Cedric Easton
Chris Heim
Christian Sands
Christopher Crenshaw
Cosimo Fabrizio
Cécile McLorin Salvant
D’Andre Brothers
Dan Wilson
Dana Wigle
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Derek Kwan
Dr. Robin D.G. Kelley
Emmet Cohen
Endea Owens
Erica Carter
Erika Elliott
Evan Sherman
Felix Contreras
Georgina Javor
Gilles Peterson
Gwen Ansell
Helen Sung
Herlin Riley
Jacques Schwarz-Bart
Jazzmeia Horn
Jen Luzzo
Jihye Lee
John Clayton
John Murph
Karen Kennedy
Katie Simon
Kerry Sulkowicz
Kris Bowers
Kurt Elling
Madelyn Gardner
Maria Schneider
Marija Abney
Mark Ruffin
Mary Foster Conklin
Rodney Whitaker
Sam Pollard
Sean Jones
Sheila Jordan
Steve Williams
Susan Brink
Sébastien Vidal
Terri Lyne Carrington
Terri Pontremoli
Tia Fuller
Tootie Heath
Tulani Bridgewater Kowalski
Valérie Malot
Wayne Tucker
Willie Jones III
Yunie Mojica
Jazz Congress is an annual conference designed to bring together artists, media, and leaders from throughout the global industry to exchange ideas. As always, this year’s virtual edition aims to nurture and grow the jazz community and everyone who promotes, produces, presents, markets, and supports the music.
While this year’s Jazz Congress will be free, Jazz at Lincoln Center and JazzTimes ask registrants to consider a donation so that the conference can return to Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City in 2022 stronger than ever.
The Jazz Congress Advisory Board offers the programming team guidance and feedback on sessions, speakers, and honorees. Jazz Congress is grateful for the time and contributions of advisory board members Gene Dobbs Bradford, Terri Lyne Carrington, Stefon Harris, Tim Jackson, Karen Kennedy, Don Lucoff, Katie Simon, Denny Stilwell, Helen Sung and Rodney Whitaker.
Previous Jazz Congress conferences, co-produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center and JazzTimes, have drawn upwards of 1,100 attendees from all over the world and have featured speakers including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Terri Lyne Carrington, Vijay Iyer, Christian McBride, Maria Schneider, George Wein, Nicholas Payton, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo O’Farrill, Gary Bartz, and Jennifer Leitham. An annual highlight is the keynote session and presentation of The Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award. Previous recipients include Randall Kline, Brice Rosenbloom, Christian McBride, Darlene Chan, Terri Lyne Carrington and Barry Harris.
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For General Jazz Congress Inquires:
jazzcongress@jazz.org