This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Taichung Jazz Festival. To celebrate, on November 2, the Cultural Affairs Bureau brought a major highlight: the legendary “Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis” returned to Taiwan after 22 years. This event alone drew nearly 10,000 participants. Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen was also present to enjoy the top jazz performance alongside the audience on a pleasant autumn night.

Wynton Marsalis, raised in a family of jazz musicians, began his classical music training at an early age. He is the Managing and Artistic Director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in New York City and has earned nine Grammy Awards spanning both classical and jazz genres. Notably, he is the first and only jazz musician to ever win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Marsalis once said that he has experienced firsthand the power of art, particularly jazz, which he believes has the ability to continuously uplift one's life.

According to the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Wynton Marsalis performed four exclusive shows in Taiwan, with three in Taipei and one in Taichung. To ensure Taichung citizens can enjoy this top-tier jazz experience, Mayor Lu Hsiu-yen has arranged for the November 2 performance at Taichung’s Fulfillment Amphitheatre to be the only free concert during Marsalis’s visit. Furthermore, one day before the event, Wynton Marsalis, along with 15 members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, also hosted a panel Q&A with jazz enthusiasts in Taichung, sharing his perspectives on jazz as a master.

During their rare visit to Taiwan, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis delivered a special performance for the Taichung Jazz Festival's 20th anniversary. The performance featured three key aspects: Hot Jazz & Swing, Duke Ellington’s classic works as a commemoration of his 125th birthday, and a homage to the legends of Bebop. This diverse performance was set to reshape the perception and imagination of jazz for Taiwanese audiences, with the entire crowd swinging to the rhythm, creating a perfect ending for the festival's 20th anniversary.