The Jazz Power Initiative’s Syncopated Celebration 2026 brought together Grammy-winning musicians, community leaders and aspiring young performers for an evening that highlighted jazz’s enduring legacy while raising support for arts education.
The Jazz Power Initiative’s Syncopated Celebration 2026 took place at the Symphony Space, specifically the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, located at 2537 Broadway at West 95th Street in Manhattan. The fundraising gala was held on May 14, 2026, celebrating 22 years of the organization’s jazz arts education programs.
Hosted by 11-time Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride, the annual fundraiser showcased the organization’s mission of making jazz education accessible to young people through free neighborhood programs that combine music, dance and theater.
One of the night’s highlights came from Zah!, the Jazz Power Initiative’s youth vocal ensemble, whose members performed alongside some of the biggest names in jazz. Coached by acclaimed vocalist and Newark native Antoinette Montague, the group opened the evening’s cocktail reception with Bud Powell’s Strictly Confidential before launching the awards ceremony with Don Pullen’s Listen to the People.
Later in the evening, the young performers returned to the stage with McBride, six-time Grammy-nominated saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, drummer Alvester C. Garnett, and Jazz Power Initiative co-founder Dr. Eli “Dr. E” Yamin on piano for a performance of Thelonious Monk and Jon Hendricks’ In Walked Bud. The celebration concluded with a spirited jam session featuring Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Lady and Charles Mingus’ Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting.
The event also recognized several individuals for their contributions to the arts and their communities.
Political strategist Luis A. Miranda Jr. presented the Miranda Family Champion of Arts and Culture Award to New York City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa for her support of Northern Manhattan’s arts community.
NEA Jazz Master Dorthaan Kirk honored WBGO President and CEO Steve A. Williams with the Rothman Family Syncopated Partnership Award, recognizing the public radio station’s longstanding commitment to jazz and its new partnership with Jazz Power Initiative.
Jazz pioneer Bob Stewart presented the JPI Changemaker Award to Lakecia Benjamin, a Washington Heights native and former Jazz Power Initiative faculty member whose latest album, We Dream, was released earlier this year.
The evening also included recognition for Dr. Eli Yamin, who received the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2026 Manhattan Jazz Hero Award, presented by veteran jazz journalist Ron Scott.
“From the first note to the final standing ovation, the energy in the room was electric,” said Syncopated Celebration Chair Tanya LeMelle, praising the volunteers, artists and supporters who helped make the fundraiser possible.
Founded to introduce young people to jazz through free educational programming, the Jazz Power Initiative continues to invest in emerging talent while preserving one of America’s most influential musical traditions. Organizers said the evening demonstrated that jazz’s future depends not only on celebrating legendary performers, but also on inspiring the next generation to carry the music forward.