Wynton Marsalis b. 1961

Wynton Marsalis is the Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1961, Mr. Marsalis began his classical training on trumpet at age 12 and soon began playing in local bands of diverse genres. He entered The Juilliard School at age 17 and joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.

Mr. Marsalis made his recording debut as a leader in 1982, and since he has recorded more than 40 jazz and 11 classical recordings, which have won him nine GRAMMY Awards. In 1983, he became the first and only artist to win both classical and jazz GRAMMY's in the same year and repeated this feat in 1984.