The Madison Jazz Festival finale weekend will feature 10 free Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT)-hosted jazz performances at the outdoor entertainment space, the Memorial Union Terrace, June 14 and 15, including headliners Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few and Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble.
The full lineup of WUT-hosted Festival performances include the High School Jazz All Stars, Mr. Chair, Camille Thurman and the Darrell Green Quartet, La Combi, and Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few on June 14 and Devin Drobka Bell Dance Songs, The Kal Bergendahl Project, Melanie Charles with Ignabu and Paul Wilson Bae, and Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble on June 15.
Saxophonist Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few will perform at 7 p.m. on June 14. Collier, a Chicago and Brooklyn-based composer, curator, educator and musician, fuses spiritual jazz, cosmic improvisation, and social commentary in his art. He has performed alongside many well-known artists, such as Chance The Rapper, Lewis Nash, Wadada Leo Smith III, and Antonio Hart. The quartet’s latest album, “The World is On Fire,” aims to reflect on today’s socio-political landscape.
On June 15, six-time Grammy-winning pianist, composer and conductor Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. The group is known for fusing the rich traditions of Afro-Cuban jazz with bold, contemporary sound. O’Farrill’s career includes performing with Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Bowie, Wynton Marsalis, and Harry Belafonte.
O’Farrill has received eight Grammys for his work, including Best Instrumental Composition twice and Best Latin Jazz Album in 2023 for the album “Fandango at the Wall in New York.”
The full Madison Jazz Festival series occurs throughout Madison from June 6 to June 15. The WUT team presents its Festival lineup in partnership with the Arts + Literature Laboratory with support from The Cap Times, the Evjue Foundation, and Dane Arts.
WUT has a more than 80-year history of bringing what’s next now in performing arts to stages in Madison in partnership with the student-led Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee.
Patrons can visit union.wisc.edu/madison-jazz-festival for information about the full WUT-hosted Madison Jazz Festival free events lineup. Patrons can visit union.wisc.edu/theater for WUT 2025-26 season information, including recently announced Jazz Series performances. WUT will announce more events in June 2025.