Tonight, Spaulding Auditorium will come alive with the sounds of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
The world-famous group, which will be directed by legendary jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, will take the stage to a sold-out audience at 7 p.m.
The return of Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to campus was carefully chosen as part of the Hopkins Center's 50th anniversary and the Year of the Arts, according to programming director Margaret Lawrence. The group made its last appearance on campus in 2005.
"Their performances have always been huge highlights, both artistically and in terms of excitement," Lawrence said. "So we knew that with the Hop's 50th anniversary this year, we wanted to include them, among the stars of this season."
Like many of Marsalis' previous performances, tonight's show has been long sold out, and student excitement is high.
"I don't know a ton about jazz," Felipe Jaramillo '16 said. "But you don't have to be a jazz scholar to know the name Wynton Marsalis. I got the tickets as soon as they went on sale, because I figured they'd be gone pretty quickly."
Eric Hemphill '14 said he is highly anticipating the performance.
"When a friend offered me his ticket I rearranged my whole schedule to make it fit," Hemphill said. "Opportunities like this don't come every day."
Marsalis, whom Lawrence called "without a doubt...the most famous jazz leader living," has received acclaim for his work as a composer, bandleader and performer of both classical and jazz music.
Marsalis' accolades include nine Grammy Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for music.
Lawrence praised him for his work not just as a musician, but also as a teacher and mentor to aspiring artists.
"One of the real hallmarks of the Hop is that it stands for mentorship," Lawrence said. "That theme of mentorship is something we really wanted to bring forward in our 50th anniversary."
Marsalis established the Jazz at Lincoln Center program in 1987 to promote music and education, and has served in the 15-member orchestra as a trumpeter and musical director.
Marsalis took this concept of mentorship to heart by choosing up-and-coming artist Jared Grimes as his companion for tonight's performance.
Grimes, a tap dancer and former mentee, will perform orchestra pieces and solos on several songs.
Grimes has appeared on the national stage as a dancer and choreographer, a national tour with Mariah Carey and Cirque du Soleil's off-Broadway production of "Banana Shpeel." He currently serves on the faculty of the Broadway Dance Center.
Grimes said he attributes much of his career success to his relationship with Marsalis.
"Wynton took me to another level," Grimes said. "I can remember sitting through two-hour lectures of him telling me about music, and how I could change the whole game because of the way I think. I'm proud of the sense of musicality I had before I met him, but since meeting him it's just skyrocketed."
Grimes' artistic relationship with Marsalis brought him numerous performance opportunities, including one at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2009 for President Barack Obama's first inauguration.
The concept of tap dance alongside big band jazz may seem strange, but Grimes credits the genre's success to his connection with Marsalis and his ability to feel and interpret the music through his movements.
"I don't really play an instrument in the traditional sense that people would think Wynton Marsalis would be able to translate music to me," he said. "But I'm amazed at what we're able to do together and the musical concepts that have been allowed to grow."
