Photo Flash: Wynton Marsalis Honored by Interfaith Center of NY

On Monday evening, June 6, THE INTERFAITH CENTER OF NEW YORK continued its annual tradition of honoring individuals at The Center's Ninth Annual JAMES PARKS MORTON INTERFAITH AWARDS DINNER. This year's event honored:

Wynton Marsalis - Internationally-acclaimed musician, composer, Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and leading advocate of American culture. As one of the world's top trumpeters, Mr. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awards for both jazz and classical recordings. Under his leadership as Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, he continues to inspire and grow audiences for jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performances, education and broadcast events for audiences of all ages throughout the world.

The Essentially Ellington Alumni All-Stars, some of the brightest young jazz players in New York City and beneficiaries of Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Program, will entertain. Included are Willie Applewhite on trombone, Tatum Greenblatt on trumpet, Alan Hampton on bass, Reggie Quinerly on Drums and Carmen Staaf on piano.

Previous Interfaith Award recipients include former President Bill Clinton, James Carroll, Alan Slifka, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nina & Daniel Libeskind, Shirin Ebadi, Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee, Philippe Petit, Santiago & Robertina Calatrava, Richard Gere, Amma, Imam Feisal Rauf, Nicholas D. Kristof, Paul Winter, Carl Sagan, Steven C. Rockefeller, Rev. Kyotaro DeGuchi, Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, Vartan Gregorian and Rabbi Awraham Soetendor among others.

The Interfaith Center of New York, founded in 1997, is a secular non-profit organization which works with over 1,000 grassroots and immigrant religious leaders from 16 different faith and ethnic traditions. ICNY brings together religious leaders, judges, social workers, teachers and other civic officials to address shared concerns including domestic violence, healthcare, affordable housing and financial security among worshippers. ICNY seeks to advance New York City as a nationally and internationally recognized model for mutual understanding and cooperation among faiths.

The James Parks Morton Interfaith Award is named for ICNY's founder and Chair Emeritus, The Very Reverend James Parks Morton, who served as Dean of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for 25 years and today remains as an active ICNY Board member. As a visionary Episcopal spiritual leader, he created a thriving creative community where cutting-edge cultural, ecological and social justice programs were incubated and successfully implemented.

Photo Credit: Carolina Kroon/Merle Frimark