BETHEL – The vibrant sounds of jazz are set to bring the Hudson Valley to life this summer, promising an unforgettable evening for music lovers of all ages. Jazz enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike will find themselves drawn to an extraordinary lineup of talent that bridges the past, present, and future of this cherished art form.

Sunday, June 22, will be a wonderful opportunity for the Hudson Valley & Delaware Valley communities to hear world class jazz. Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra will be performing on the Main Stage at 7pm.  

Wynton Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awards, with the first awarded when he was 22 years old.   In addition, he was the first to win a Pulitzer for a jazz composition for his oratorio Blood on the Field (1997).  Mr. Marsalis was born into a musical family being the son of New Orleans jazz pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis.  Wynton has four siblings three of which are also jazz musicians and the fourth being a poet and photographer.  Marsalis’s recordings have sold approximately 7 million worldwide.  He was named an NEA Jazz Master, has won a National Humanities Medal, a National Medal of Arts and was named a UN Messenger of Peace.  Additionally, Marsalis has received 14 honorary degrees, including an honorary doctorate from Bard College awarded by Professor Thurman Barker, Sullivan County resident and esteemed drummer and percussionist.

At 5:30pm, Sullivan County native, Noah Barker will grace the Horizon Stage as an emerging artist. Like Wynton Marsalis, Barker grew up in a musical family, his father being the aforementioned Thurman Barker.  With that influence Noah grew up playing drums, clarinet and piano with eventually deciding to focus on the piano.  He is an accomplished pianist whose work spans 20 years of performing, recording and scoring.  His professional work includes scoring the documentary Beekeeper which was aired on PBS. He has produced two physical albums of original music, Subtle Frequencies  (2024) and Instrumental Memory (2022) as well as at least a dozen digital releases between his solo project and experimental project, Noisebody.  Barker’s academic achievements include a master’s degree in Jazz Piano Performance and is a graduate of the Sullivan West School District.

The evening promises an eclectic blend of seasoned expertise and emerging talent, uniting two generations of musical brilliance. Both performances underscore the richness of the jazz tradition, highlighting the legacy of seasoned veterans like Marsalis while celebrating the fresh perspective of local rising stars like Barker.

Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online through the Bethel Woods website at bethelwoodscenter.org. Doors are open to the general public at 6pm. The door for members of Bethel Woods opens at 5:30pm.