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Wynton Marsalis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Grammy® Winner Wynton Marsalis Closes Out 2005 Encore Season in Daytona Beach

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 14, 2005) - Wynton Marsalis, the most recognized jazz artist in the world today, takes the stage at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center, 698 W. International Speedway Blvd., for one night only - Friday, April 8, beginning at 7:30 p.m. This is the final performance of the 2004-2005 Florida International Festival "Encore Series" and promises to be an evening to remember for all jazz lovers.

Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis has compiled a remarkable track record as a jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer. He serves as Artistic Director of the prestigious Jazz at Lincoln Center and is renowned as a jazz statesman, a role officially recognized in 2001 when United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan proclaimed him an international ambassador of goodwill and appointed him a UN Messenger of Peace.

Winner of nine Grammy� Awards, Marsalis is the first jazz musician ever to be honored with the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in Music (for his epic 1997 recording Blood on the Fields). He has produced 33 jazz and 11 classical records and has sold more than seven million records worldwide, including three certified gold records.

The Magic Hour is Marsalis' first jazz ensemble studio recording since 1999. His last album was All Rise, an extended composition for big band, gospel choir and symphony orchestra. The CD is all Marsalis originals that range from playful, dance-like jaunts to low-lights, drum-brushed waltzes. The album is highlighted by the title tune, a gear-switching suite that features musical surprises around every corner and runs the jazz gamut from high-speed harmonic chases to soulful, trumpet-led romancing. What is the Magic Hour? Marsalis explains, "For kids, the one hour before they go to bed. For parents, the one hour after the kids go to sleep."

A fixture on the American cultural scene, Wynton Marsalis has returned jazz to center stage. He is also a distinguished classical performer whose many recordings have been an important aspect of his career since it began. In 1997 he became the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize in music, for his epic oratorio on the subject of slavery, Blood on the Fields.

Marsalis also is creatively involved in musical education. One of the most successful aspects of the Jazz at Lincoln Center program has been Marsalis' Jazz for Young People series. Throughout the year, he schedules meetings with students wherever he is, and while on the road with his bands he regularly conducts master classes in local schools. His four-part, Peabody Award-winning TV series Marsalis on Music, introduces young viewers to the adventure of making music.

Since his self-titled debut was released in 1982, Marsalis' numerous jazz and classical recordings have sold nearly five million copies world wide. He has taken his jazz groups to 30 countries on six continents, averaging more than 120 concerts per year for many of the past 16 years.

Marsalis has been awarded the Grand Prix du Disque of France and the Edison Award of the Netherlands, and was elected an honorary member of England's Royal Academy of Music. In recognition of the many hours he has contributed to music education, community organizations, and charities, he has been given keys to cities across the country, all types of community service awards, and a congressional citation. He received honorary doctorate degrees from Rutgers University and Amherst College and has been recognized by many universities, including Yale, Princeton, Brown, Columbia, John Hopkins, Brandeis, the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Miami. He has been the subject of cover stories for Life magazine, Time magazine, Parade, the Sunday New York Times Magazine, the Sunday Los Angeles Times Calendar, and London Times magazine and in 1996, Time magazine named him among America's 25 most influential people.

This marks the second year for the "Encore Series," a special showcase for favorite artists from past Florida International Festivals and popular groups and performers who cannot come to Daytona Beach during the summer season.

Tickets for Wynton Marsalis range from $25 to$55 and may be purchased by calling the Box Office at (386) 257-7790; visiting the Box Office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 210 S. Beach St. or by visiting our website at www.fif-lso.org.

Central Florida Cultural Endeavors, Inc. is a non-profit organization that presents a wide variety of cultural events in Volusia and Flagler counties, including a winter season of chamber music. The most important CFCE project is the Florida International Festival (July 15-31, 2005), featuring the London Symphony Orchestra.


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