Mission & Values

In the Spirit of Swing

Our Mission

The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center is to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. We believe jazz is a metaphor for Democracy. Because jazz is improvisational, it celebrates personal freedom and encourages individual expression. Because jazz is swinging, it dedicates that freedom to finding and maintaining common ground with others. Because jazz is rooted in the blues, it inspires us to face adversity with persistent optimism.

 

12 Principles

  1. Embody the music that you serve Soul
  2. Inspirit your surrounding environment Spirit of place
  3. Seek to expand your extended family and help them help you Community
  4. Catalogue and make easily accessible all content Identity
  5. Constantly simplify and refine administrative processes Methodology
  6. Insist on a complete understanding of accurate and transparent institutional metrics Integrity
  7. Integrate access to information and all aspects of our business Communication
  8. Embrace the creativity of all staff and nurture fresh ideas Wealth
  9. Provide a point of entry for all possible participants regardless of sophistication Hospitality
  10. Offer everything, all of the time, everywhere, at any level of participation Health
  11. Value metric success but not at the expense of mission Purpose
  12. Celebrate our history and traditions as we create the present moments of the future Legacy

Keep the music playing! Please support Jazz at Lincoln Center as we continue to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through concerts, education, and advocacy for artists.