Wynton Marsalis prepares to present a major new orchestral work as part of the summer programme at the Edinburgh International Festival. The composer and trumpeter’s project, titled All Rise, comprises 12 movements and involves roughly 200 musicians. Marsalis has described the piece as an effort to address national themes and to draw together musical traditions from across the United States.
In advance of the Edinburgh performances, Marsalis rehearsed and premiered portions of the work at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, where he first appeared as a young soloist in 1984. Then, as now, his presence onstage is unmistakable: the 22-year-old prodigy once played Haydn’s trumpet concerto under the baton of Lorin Maazel. More recently he has positioned himself within the ensemble, saying simply, “It’s my piece, but it’s not my show,” as the work unfolds among large orchestral forces.
The composition seeks to combine elements of classical symphonic writing and jazz practice, deploying a broad instrumental palette and an extended formal structure. With 12 distinct movements and a cast of roughly 200 performers, All Rise relies on massed strings, brass, woodwind and rhythm sections to realise its sonic aims. Marsalis has framed the work as an artistic project that engages both musical history and contemporary civic themes, drawing on the breadth of American musical lineages.
Marsalis has also spoken about his influences and professional relationships in the context of the project; he has named prominent jazz mentors among those who shaped his approach and has noted the personal role his wife has played in teaching him humility. Those elements of personal and musical formation are presented within the score rather than as public declamation, and they inform the work’s textured dialogues between soloists and ensemble.
The presentation at the Edinburgh International Festival will bring the full forces of All Rise to an international audience. The performance marks a significant moment in Marsalis’s dual career as a trumpeter and composer and will be part of the festival’s broader programme of large-scale contemporary and classical works.
