American premiere and national tour of compositions with Shamma January 20-February 4
Middle East Meditations Tour opens on January 20-21 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater in New York, NY
Jazz at Lincoln Center today announces Middle East Meditations, a milestone concert event and U.S. tour featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Naseer Shamma, the eminent Iraqi oud virtuoso-composer-educator. Marking the JLCO’s first collaboration with an Iraqi artist, the orchestra will premiere new works with Shamma at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater on January 20-21 at 8:00pm then tour throughout select U.S. cities from January 24-February 4, 2023.
The Middle East Meditations Tour includes a residency in Chicago (January 26-27, 2023) and concerts in Omaha, Nebraska; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Madison, Wisconsin (see complete tour dates below).
“We’re coming together for a collaboration with the brilliant musician, composer, and musicologist Naseer Shamma. He comes from a whole world of music of which he is a master. As a virtuoso and teacher, he has transformed the presence of the oud,” said Marsalis. “Playing with Naseer is what makes being a musician –all the hours and years spent practicing and trying to be serious –worth it. We look forward to coming together to interpret his music.”
Revered as being one of the world’s greatest oud virtuosos –the oud being a centuries-old Middle Eastern short-necked lute-type stringed instrument– the acclaimed Naseer Shamma is equally known for his humanitarian work, including serving as the UNESCO Artist for Peace.
Shamma and Marsalis first met at the behest of the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival in 2010, which led to more than a revelatory musical meeting of the minds, but to a shared belief in the power of music and collaboration to bring cultures and people together, beyond politics and religion. They reunited later that year for a concert in Marciac, France, where reviews called the collaboration an “unprecedented fusion between jazz and the oud instrument.”
Middle East Meditations continues the orchestra’s season of cross-cultural offerings that illuminate, actualize, and reaffirm the notion of jazz as a global language and the music’s power to bridge divides and coalesce distinct communities.
For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit Jazz.org. For live streaming information, visit JazzLive.com.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Naseer Shamma
2023 Middle East Meditations U.S. Tour
Friday, January 20-21 | New York, NY – Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater
Sunday, January 22 | Philadelphia, PA – Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts – Academy of Music
Thursday, January 26 | Urbana, IL – Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Friday, January 27 | Chicago, IL – Chicago Symphony Center
Saturday, January 28 | Chicago, IL – Chicago Symphony Center – featuring the JLCO only
Sunday, January 29 | St. Louis, MO – Sheldon Concert Hall
Wednesday, February 1 | Omaha, NE – Holland Performing Arts Center
Thursday, February 2 | Milwaukee, WI – Marcus Performing Arts Center
Friday, February 3 | Appleton, WI – Lawrence University – Lawrence Memorial Chapel
Saturday, February 4 | Madison, WI – Overture Center for the Arts
Health and Safety Guidelines at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall
We believe in the power of music to uplift, inspire, and create a sense of community and we are committed to employing all measures to ensure your safety as well as the safety of our artists and staff when visiting or working in the House of Swing.
Important reminders:
- Face masks are not required but recommended for performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Jazz at Lincoln Center will no longer require proof of vaccination or booster to enter its facilities.
- For more information on our health and safety protocols, please visit https://2022.jazz.org/our-commitment-to-you
Ticket Information
Ticket prices for Rose Theater are $30 and up dependent upon seating section.
Note: Hot Seats—$10 seats for each Rose Theater performance (excluding Jazz for Young People® concerts and other performances as specified) and select performances in The Appel Room—are available for purchase by the general public on the Wednesday prior to each performance. Tickets are subject to availability; please call 212-258-9877 for available Hot Seats performance dates.
Hot Seats are available only in person at the Box Office, with a maximum of two tickets per person. Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Hot Seats Ticket Discount Program is supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
*Please note that a $3.50 Jazz at Lincoln Center Facility Fee applies to ALL ticket purchases, with the exception of $10 Hot Seats. A $7 handling fee also applies when purchasing tickets from CenterCharge or when purchasing tickets online via jazz.org.
All single tickets for The Appel Room and Rose Theater can be purchased through jazz.org 24 hours a day or through CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor.
Box Office hours:
Monday-Friday: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
No weekend hours except on performance days.
Center Charge hours:
Monday-Saturday: 10:00 am – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
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Additional information may be found at jazz.org.
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Jazz Live is Jazz at Lincoln Center’s video streaming app, which provides exclusive access to the institution’s live webcasts, a selection of archival performances, and all of the original world-class digital content for which Jazz at Lincoln Center is renowned. The Jazz Live app is available now from Apple (iOS/tvOS), Google (Android/Android TV), Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. For more information and to subscribe, visit jazzlive.com.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 35th season runs from through June 10, 2023 in Rose Theater, The Appel Room, and Dizzy’s Club – all at Frederick P. Rose Hall, the home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, located at Broadway at 60th Street in New York, NY. In addition to 22 unique live concerts throughout Frederick P. Rose Hall and more than 350 nights of music in Dizzy’s Club, the organization will offer webcast performances, in-person and virtual education programs, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis tour dates worldwide.
This program is presented as part of the Ertegun Jazz Concert Series.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is presented by the Arnhold Family.
Leadership support for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is provided by Michele and Mark Mandel, the Perry and Donna Golkin Family Foundation, and the Zou Family Fund.
Leadership support for Jazz at Lincoln Center is made possible through America’s Cultural Treasures, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant through the leadership and support of Senator Charles E. Schumer and the New York Congressional Delegation.
Leadership support for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s concert season is provided by
Jody and John Arnhold and Lynne and Richard Pasculano.
Leadership support is also provided by an Anonymous Donor; Jody and John Arnhold;
Mellody Hobson and George Lucas; and Dalio Philanthropies.
Major support is provided by Abrams Foundation; The Ambrose Monell Foundation;
Howard Gilman Foundation, Inc.; and Seedlings Foundation.
Generous support is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges its major corporate partners:
Bloomberg Philanthropies, Con Edison, Entergy, Steinway & Sons,
and The Coca-Cola Company.
Press Inquiries:
Zooey T. Jones
Senior Director, PR & External Communications
Jazz at Lincoln Center
zjones@jazz.org