Join us for a celebration of New York City’s musical heritage as we honor the legacy of jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, who broke barriers as an openly gay, black man in the mid-1900s. First joining up with legendary bandleader Duke Ellington in 1939, this marks the 85th anniversary of the pair’s renowned collaborative relationship. From the dimly lit jazz clubs to the bustling streets and his home in Harlem, Strayhorn compositions such as “Lush Life” and “Take the ‘A’ Train” have etched themselves into the city’s very essence. We invite musicians of all backgrounds to unite in celebration of jazz, Strayhorn, Duke and the spirit of New York. As part of the program, we collaborated with New York University’s talented students, who will showcase original compositions crafted from an unpublished fragment of Strayhorn’s, further demonstrating the timelessness of his music.