Considered Europe’s best, this storied big band has a rich history of powerhouse performances and a superstar roster of past guest artists including Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson and more. In their Virginia Arts Festival debut performance, they are joined by one of today’s most sought-after and style-setting jazz vocalists, the always-thrilling Cécile McLorin Salvant. “Rightly considered one of the greatest jazz singers of her generation" (Rolling Stone), Salvant is a three-time Grammy-winning vocalist, composer, and fearless storyteller known for her electrifying interpretations and genre-defying artistry. Mark your calendar for an unforgettable night of jazz!

Cécile McLorin Salvant is a composer, singer, and visual artist. The late Jessye Norman described Salvant as “a unique voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality, which light up every note she sings.” Salvant has developed a passion for storytelling and finding the connections among vaudeville, blues, folk traditions from around the world, theater, jazz, and Baroque music. She is an eclectic curator, unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs with strong narratives, interesting power dynamics, unexpected twists, and humor. Salvant won the Thelonious Monk competition in 2010, and received Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album for three consecutive albums, The Window, Dreams and Daggers, and For One To Love. In 2020 she received the MacArthur fellowship and the Doris Duke Artist Award. Cécile McLorin Salvant released her debut Nonesuch Records release, Ghost Song, in 2022; the album went on to receive two Grammy nominations. Mélusine — an album mostly sung in French, along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyòl — was released in 2023 and was also nominated for two Grammys. The celebrated vocalist’s latest album, Oh Snap, was released on Nonesuch on September 19, 2025.