PRESIDENT OBAMA AND MICHELLE OBAMA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY 2016 ALL-STAR GLOBAL CONCERT AT THE WHITE HOUSE FEATURING HERBIE HANCOCK, STING, ARETHA FRANKLIN, TROMBONE SHORTY, DIANA KRALL, AL JARREAU, HUGH MASEKELA, BUDDY GUY, CHICK COREA, WAYNE SHORTER, PAT METHENY AND MANY OTHERS
All-Star Global Concert Will Be Televised on ABC on April 30 for the Fifth Annual International Jazz Day Worldwide Celebration Recognizing Jazz and Its Significant Role in Cultural Diplomacy

Paris and Washington, D.C. – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Director-General Irina Bokova and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock are pleased to announce the fifth annual International Jazz Day, which will be celebrated around the world on April 30, 2016. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host the 5th anniversary International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert at the White House on April 29th and this spectacular event will be broadcast on International Jazz Day as a one-hour primetime ABC television special, “Jazz at the White House,” on Saturday evening, April 30th and streamed on the United Nations, UNESCO, U.S. State Department and White House websites. The concert will feature an extraordinary array of artists from around the world paying tribute to the truly American art form of jazz.

Washington, D.C. has been selected to serve as the 2016 Global Host City, and International Jazz Day programs are made possible by Toyota, the 2016 Lead Partner. Presented each year on April 30th in partnership with the The lonious Monk Institute of Jazz, International Jazz Day highlights the power of jazz as a force for freedom and creativity, promotes intercultural dialogue through respect and understanding, and unites people from all corners of the globe. The day is recognized on the official calendars of both UNESCO and the United Nations.