DETROIT – The Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation is thrilled to present pianist, composer, and artist Jason Moran as the Artist-in-Residence for the 2025 Detroit Jazz Festival.
Moran has released 18 solo recordings with Blue Note Records and Yes Records. In 2022, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was recently awarded the 2023 German Jazz Prize for Pianist of the Year. His latest recording, From the Dancehall to the Battlefield, is devoted to the music of World War 1 jazz pioneer and organizer James Reese Europe. Moran presented this spectacular multimedia jazz performance during the 2023 Detroit Jazz Festival on the Carhartt Amphitheater Stage.
Moran has collaborated with several contemporary artists, such as Joan Jonas, Kara Walker, Stan Douglas, Theaster Gates, and Remy Jungman. He is also currently the Artistic Director for Jazz at The Kennedy Center.
As the 2025 Artist-in-Residence, Moran will support Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation educational initiatives for students and community engagement activities across the region throughout the year. In addition, Moran will lead multiple diverse performances during the Festival, Labor Day weekend. He will also perform at the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center on the campus of Wayne State University, Tuesday, April 15 during the Detroit Jazz Festival Preview Event, which will be live-streamed for free on detroitjazzfest.org.
“Jason Moran is a trailblazer in the use of diverse multimedia and theatrical installations to present jazz to audiences in a way that has never been done before,” said Chris Collins, President and Artistic Director, Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation. “We look forward to his singular craftmanship and his creative and evolutionary artistry to lead this year’s festival.”
Call for New Works
As part of this year’s programming, the Detroit Jazz Festival invites artists to bring new perspectives to blending jazz and other musical styles. Whether classical, electronic, hip-hop, folk, or something entirely new, we seek inspired visions that honor jazz’s tradition, build on its language, and explore distinctive new sounds. The deadline to apply is April 11. For more information and/or to apply go to www.detroitjazzfest.org.
Open Artist Submission
Open submission for the 2025 Detroit Jazz Festival is now open. The Open Submissions Application offers professional artists at any stage in their career the opportunity to submit ensemble details and audio files for a paid performance slot at the 2025 Detroit Jazz Festival. Deadline for submission is June 1. For more information and to submit, go to www.detroitjazzfest.org.
The Detroit Jazz Festival will be held in downtown Detroit, Aug. 29 – Sept. 1 (Labor Day weekend).
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About the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation
Under the leadership of President and Artistic Director Chris Collins, the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that presents jazz and educational workshops throughout the year. The Foundation produces the Detroit Jazz Festival, which is the signature event for the Foundation and the largest free jazz festival in the world. The Festival is also a major tourist attraction for the City of Detroit, with 26 percent of its audience coming from out of state. For more information, visit detroitjazzfest.org.
The Detroit Jazz Festival is supported by the Gretchen C. Valade Endowment for the Arts, a private foundation generously created by the late Angel of Jazz, Gretchen C. Valade. The Foundation also receives grant funding from the DTE Foundation, Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation, Kresge Foundation, the Knight Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest and the Carolyn and Mel Wanzo Music Legacy Endowment. Hundreds of individuals also contribute to the Festival through membership and donations.
Major corporate partners include Rocket Companies, Carhartt, JPMorgan Chase, AARP, Absopure, and Kia.
Media partners include Fox 2 Detroit, 760 WJR, WEMU-FM, DownBeat, WDET-FM 101.9, WRCJ 90.9 FM, Channel 22, City of Detroit’s new arts and entertainment channel, and Detroit Public Television.
For more information, visit:
Website – www.detroitjazzfest.org
Facebook — @DetroitJazzFestival
Twitter — @DetroitJazzFest
Instagram — @DetroitJazzFest
