American jazz icon Wynton Marsalis joins the 2025 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz line-up of artists billed to perform at Africa’s premiere jazz festival this spring. The legendary jazz trumpeter will headline the Dinaledi stage with the Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra (JLCO).

Marsalis and the JLCO are billed to perform Friday and Sunday only; as they join an offering of over 60 world class musicians from across 15 countries and three continents curated into an unmissable immersive three-day jazz and lifestyle celebration experience on September 26 through the 28 September 2025 at the Sandton International Convention Centre, Joburg.

The SBJOJ performance by Marsalis and the JLCO will continue a global tour celebrating jazz voices on the African continent; including a celebration of the music of the late great Bheki Mseleku with Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz alumni, pianist Nduduzo Makhathini.

Marsalis is a jazz titan who has presided over a monumental career spanning over 40 years of excellence in performance and composition. He has recorded over 120 albums across jazz and classical music, collaborating with numerous bands and orchestras, as well as serving as a solo recording artist. The American jazz icon is the only artist to have won Grammy Awards for both jazz and classical music in the same year for two consecutive years, 1983 and 1984. He is also the only artist to win Grammy Awards in five consecutive years (1983-1987). In addition to his Grammy success, Marsalis was the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1997.

“Adding Wynton Marsalis to the 2025 Programme firms up the straight-ahead jazz element in our curatorial vision. Inviting him also signals our commitment to the shared cultural and democratic values that connect South Africa and the United States. Marsalis is also a friend of the festival and we could not miss an opportunity to host him in Joburg at this time,” Mantwa Chinoamadi is the CEO of T-Musicman and Producer of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival.

 

“We are thrilled to once again host the global icon that is Wynton Marsalis and look forward to him serenading jazz lovers at the three-day festival. He joins a strong group of artists set to perform on the global stage, and we believe his addition will make the event a memorable occasion. Marsalis is not only a world-class musician but also a creative entrepreneur whose journey in the arts is inspiring to both the young and old.  As a leading bank on the African continent, with a presence in four global financial centres and two offshore hubs, we’ve been a proud supporter of the arts for over 40 years. We believe cross-cultural exchange further grows the creative industry, opening doors for global partnerships,” says Bonga Sebesho, Standard Bank Group Head of Sponsorships.