The Muny and Jazz St. Louis Will Share Operational Resources Under New Partnership

Season 31 at Jazz St. Louis opens tonight, Nov. 4 and runs through May 29 and includes performances by Cyrus Chestnut, Yellowjackets, John Pizzarelli and Sean Jones. 

ST. LOUIS — The Muny and Jazz St. Louis are joining forces through a shared services partnership designed to strengthen both organizations, expand opportunities for arts professionals and demonstrate the power of collaboration across St. Louis’ nonprofit arts community. 

The partnership, aimed at revitalizing Jazz St. Louis, is in the early stages of implementation and comes as the organization opens its 31st season. 

“St. Louis is richly blessed with extraordinary arts organizations that bring people together, celebrate our cultural heritage and showcase the God-given talents of artists and performers,” said David L. Steward, founder and chairman of World Wide Technology. “The Muny and Jazz St. Louis enrich countless lives through the shared experience of music and theater, and bringing together the strengths and resources of these two beloved institutions will help ensure their lasting legacies.” 

“This is an exciting opportunity to think differently about how arts organizations can work together to build a stronger, more sustainable cultural community,” said Muny President & CEO Kwofe Coleman. “The Muny and Jazz St. Louis have complementary missions — a shared commitment to bringing people together. We envision this partnership as an inspiring model for collaboration across the region’s nonprofit arts community.” 

As part of the partnership, The Muny will provide shared organizational resources in areas including marketing, finance, development, production and select administrative functions. Jazz St. Louis will devote resources to its core mission of presenting world-class jazz, developing innovative programming, and providing exceptional music education and community engagement. 

The shared services model will create efficiencies, reduce duplication, and strengthen the infrastructure behind both organizations while preserving their distinct identities, missions and governance. 

The structure also creates opportunities for more consistent, year-round employment for specialized arts and entertainment professionals. The two organizations’ performance calendars do not overlap. By aligning the three-month Muny season with the eight-month Jazz St. Louis season, each can create additional opportunities for technicians, artisans and other arts professionals to build careers in St. Louis. 

“Jazz St. Louis has a strong artistic and educational foundation and plays a vital role in the cultural life of this region,” said Adaron “Pops” Jackson, Jazz St. Louis co-interim Executive Director, Artistic and Community Programs. “Our partnership with The Muny will allow us to build on that foundation by creating greater efficiencies behind the scenes. We’re excited about what this collaboration means for Jazz St. Louis and for the community we both serve.” 

Jackson and Cynthia Danley (Co-Interim Executive Director, Operations and Advancement) are leading Jazz St. Louis.  

For more than three decades, Jazz St. Louis has been the region’s foremost jazz presenter, dedicated to preserving the genre’s legacy. Hundreds of local and nationally renowned musicians — Wynton Marsalis, Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr. and Al Jarreau among them — have graced the Jazz St. Louis stage. 

Jazz St. Louis was born in 1995 as Jazz at the Bistro. In 2006, the organization changed its name to Jazz St. Louis to better reflect its focus on performance, education and community engagement. In 2014, following an $8 million capital campaign, the Bistro and an adjacent Grand Center building were renovated as the Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz. 

Jazz St. Louis 2026-27 Season  

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

Tickets for all performances are available now through MetroTix, (314) 534-1111 and at the Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz, 3536 Washington Blvd. on show nights. 

Photos, logos and other promotional assets are available in the Muny Press Room. 

About The Muny 

Having recently completed its 108th season in St. Louis, The Muny — the recipient of the 2025 Tony Award for Regional Theatre — is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to producing exceptional musical theatre that is accessible to all, continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre, The Muny welcomes more than 300,000 patrons each summer for seven world-class productions, each built from the ground up in St. Louis. Learn more at muny.org, and follow along at facebook.com/munytheatre, instagram.com/themuny and youtube.com/themunytv. 

About Jazz St. Louis 

Jazz St. Louis is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the uniquely American art form of jazz through performance, education and community engagement. Presenting more than 200+ performances each year, the organization is committed to nurturing future audiences and supporting the next generation of musicians through transformative educational programs at no cost to participants. Learn more at jazzstl.org, and follow along at facebook.com/jazzstl, instagram.com/jazzstlouis and youtube.com/jazzstlouis.  

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