The community is invited to join the Lander University Jazz Ensemble for their first performance of the 2025-26 academic year Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Abney Cultural Center Auditorium. This event is free and open to the public.

The Lander Jazz Ensemble is a 23-piece big band that performs standard repertoire, including compositions originally performed by Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, Glen Miller, Count Basie, Bob Mintzer and many other notable jazz artists. The ensemble explores a wide range of different styles of jazz music representing different eras of the genre, including Afro-Cuban, swing, pop, bebop, cha-cha and mambo, with the idea of exposing student musicians – and the audience – to the various kinds of grooves, rhythms, melodies, harmonies and tempos.

The concert will also be the first for the ensemble under the direction of Dr. Lauren Diaz, visiting assistant professor of music education at Lander. In addition to music, this performance will provide Lander and Greenwood a chance to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Diaz.