Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, NY — The Universal Temple of the Arts will present its 37th Annual Staten Island Jazz Festival on Dec. 20, 2025, at the St. George Theatre, featuring Grammy Award-winning pianist Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble alongside other world-class performers. The event, scheduled from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at 35 Hyatt St., St. George, will showcase five acts including renowned trombonist Wycliffe Gordon with the Dal Segno Trio, vocalist Brianna Thomas, the Julie Maniscalco Dectet, and Sounds of April & Randall. Sheila E. Anderson of WBGO 88.3 FM will serve as master of ceremonies. Dr. Darrell Smith, a Staten Island native, educator, composer, and bandleader, will direct the festival’s musical program. The festival will honor three individuals with awards recognizing their contributions to jazz and community. Antoinette Montague, a blues and jazz singer known as “Jazz Woman to the Rescue,” and jazz producer and educator Amilcar Mtu will receive the Sajda Musawwir Ladner Jazz Legacy Award. Edwina Frances Martin, commissioner and public administrator of Richmond County, will receive the Community Leadership Award. “These honorees represent the values our founder, Sajda Musawwir Ladner, stood for: excellence, justice, and joy through culture,” said Rashida Ladner-Seward, UTA executive director. “Their contributions are a testament to the enduring power of community and the arts.” General admission tickets are $37 and are available at the St. George Theatre Box Office Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m., or through Ticketmaster. Golden Circle tickets, priced at $137, include VIP seating, a cocktail reception, and invitations to special cultural partner events. Proceeds from Golden Circle tickets and sponsorships will support the renovation of the Sajda Musawwir Ladner Cultural Arts Center. Through the Diamond Matching Grant Program, an initiative of The Staten Island Foundation, these purchases will be matched 2:1. The funds will expand arts programming in public schools, after-school programs, and underserved neighborhoods across Staten Island. For information on Golden Circle tickets or sponsorship opportunities, contact Todd Seward, director of community engagement, at tseward@utasi.org. Founded in 1967, the Universal Temple of the Arts provides arts education and performances across Staten Island. The organization is supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the NewYork City Council, Con Edison, Empire Outlets, WBGO, and the Romare Bearden Foundation. For more information, visit www.utasi.org, call 718-273-5610, or email info@utasi.org.
