From MSU Today on Impact Radio: Nine-time Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Wynton Marsalis has been commissioned by the MSU College of Music, the Wharton Center for Performing Arts and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to create a new piece of music that celebrates Michigan. The world premiere of the piece will be performed by Marsalis with the MSU Symphony Orchestra and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on September 24 at Wharton Center.

Rodney Whitaker, director of jazz studies at MSU’s College of Music, began the process in 2005 to commission Marsalis, his longtime friend and mentor.

“He’s one of the leading musicians of our time,” says Whitaker. “He’s an icon even to classical players.”

Marsalis will be on the MSU campus as an artist-in-residence from Sept. 22-25 to work with music students who make up the 110-member MSU Symphony Orchestra, to share his vision of the commission and to pass on some of his knowledge and opinions about music, culture and the arts.

Whitaker also talks about the jazz studies program he leads at MSU and about the state of jazz music around the world.

Hosted by Russ White.

Hear the Conversation 15:42 – 9 mb mp3