LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The National Endowment for the Arts will present a free tribute concert in honor of the 2026 Jazz Masters on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. PT at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California. This concert will feature performances celebrating the 2026 Jazz Masters, recipients of the nation’s highest honor in jazz, who were announced last fall: Carmen Lundy, Airto Moreira, Patrice Rushen, and A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy recipient Rhonda Hamilton. Hosted by the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Mary Anne Carter, the 2026 Jazz Masters Tribute Concert is free to attend (see below for ticket information) and will be available through a live webcast and radio broadcasts across the country.
Chairman Carter said, “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to bring its annual Jazz Masters celebration to Los Angeles, a city deeply connected to the history of jazz and to this year’s honorees. We look forward to an unforgettable concert honoring these remarkable artists and celebrating their lasting contributions to America’s rich jazz heritage.”
In addition to premiering short videos exploring the honorees’ lives and careers, the concert will feature performances celebrating the 2026 Jazz Masters. Note: Rhonda Hamilton and Carmen Lundy will participate in this event; Airto Moreira and Patrice Rushen are unable to attend the concert but will have special performances in their honor.
Performers include 2026 Jazz Master Carmen Lundy, 2021 Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington, Justo Almario, Krishna Booker, Lila Booker, Grecco Buratto, Michael Carvin, Leonardo Costa, Andre de Santana, Gibi Dos Santos, Dezron Douglas, Randal Fisher, Terreon Gully, Yayoi Ikawa, Diana Purim Andrew Renfroe Julius Rodriguez, Bryan Velasco, and Ben Williams. Subject to change; additional performers will be announced at a later date.
Ticket details: Up to two tickets per person may be reserved for this free concert via Eventbrite. Tickets must be picked up the night of the concert at The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, before 7:45 p.m. At 7:45 p.m., all unclaimed tickets will be released and distributed through a ticket giveaway line based on availability.
Tickets for walk-up patrons will be available the night of the concert on a first-come, first-served basis to those in a giveaway line based on availability. Patrons who do not reserve tickets in advance are encouraged to arrive from 6:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. to receive tickets via the giveaway line.
If you or a member of your party requires accessible locations and/or seating in the sign-interpreted and captioned section, please indicate your needs when making your reservation and upon picking up your tickets.
Live webcast and radio broadcast details: The 2026 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Tribute Concert will also be available to watch live via arts.gov, where an archive will also be available after the concert.
In addition, the following websites will also share the live webcast: American Jazz Museum, Blues Alley, Jazz Journalists Association, JazzTimes, KKJZ, National Endowment for the Humanities, NPR Music, WRTI, and WZUM. (List subject to change)
The following radio stations will share the radio broadcast of the event: SiriusXM’s Real Jazz channel (67), KBEM (Minneapolis, MN), KKJZ (Los Angeles, CA), and WZUM (Pittsburgh, PA). (Subject to change. Radio broadcasts may occur at later times; contact the radio stations for more information.)
Media who wish to request press access to the concert should contact Liz Auclair (auclaire@arts.gov). Photos will be available for media use upon request.
About the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters
Since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded 181 fellowships to great figures in jazz, including Muhal Richard Abrams, Kenny Barron, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dave Brubeck, Regina Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Bobby McFerrin, Dan Morgenstern, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Henry Threadgill, and Chucho Valdés.
The Jazz Masters Fellowships are awarded to living individuals on the basis of nominations from the public including members of the jazz community. Fellowships are $25,000 and can be received once in a lifetime.
Explore the National Endowment for the Arts’ website for photos and bios of all of the Jazz Masters, as well as archived concerts, video tributes, podcasts, and more than 350 Jazz Moments audio clips. The National Endowment for the Arts has also supported the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program, an effort to document the lives and careers of nearly 100 Jazz Masters.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the Arts Endowment fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov.
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SOURCE National Endowment for the Arts
