After nearly four decades at the helm of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Wynton Marsalis, the organization’s iconic founder and public face, will step down as managing and artistic director next year, the institution announced Thursday. His departure marks the end of a transformative era that helped elevate jazz to national prominence.

“This is the right moment to bring in the next generation of leadership,” Marsalis, 64, said in an interview. “Our goal is to continue nurturing what we’ve built, understanding that jazz is a living art form that will grow, and that the organization will keep thriving.”

Marsalis’s unique charisma and global reputation will be difficult to replace. He has become a worldwide ambassador for jazz, equally at ease discussing Dizzy Gillespie or Miles Davis with middle school students as he is sharing a laugh with celebrities like Spike Lee or former President Barack Obama.

“He’s a conductor, a trumpeter, and our most effective fundraiser,” said Gordon J. Davis, founding chairman of Jazz at Lincoln Center. “Jazz was struggling in America, and Wynton revived it, establishing it as a true pillar of our cultural heritage.”

Under a phased transition plan, Marsalis will step down as artistic director in July 2027, continuing in an advisory capacity until the end of his contract in June 2028. He will retain a permanent board position and intends to provide “institutional memory and guidance, but not direct oversight.”

Although Marsalis will occasionally perform with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, his absence will be deeply felt. While often playing in the background rather than seeking the spotlight, his powerful and distinctive trumpet solos have consistently been concert highlights.

“Wynton will remain an important contributor,” said Clarence Otis, board chairman. “Our pride lies in having institutionalized Jazz at Lincoln Center, so it will thrive beyond any single individual.”

Founded in 1987 as a summer jazz concert series, Jazz at Lincoln Center eventually established its permanent home, Frederick P. Rose Hall, in 2004 at the Time Warner Center (now Deutsche Bank Center) at Columbus Circle. The venue features Rose Theater, the Appel Room with a glass wall overlooking Columbus Circle, and Dizzy’s Club, all designed to celebrate jazz in an intimate yet grand setting.

The organization faced challenges, particularly after moving into its $131 million home. Its budget tripled to accommodate the three performance spaces, and leadership turnover was high, cycling through six executive directors in just three years. Stability arrived with Adrian Ellis in 2007 and Greg Scholl in 2012, thanks in part to a new structure where the executive director reported directly to Marsalis. “I selected nearly every piece we performed at each concert,” he told The New York Times in 2015.

To guide the upcoming leadership transition, Jazz at Lincoln Center has formed two committees: one to work with Marsalis in selecting the next artistic director, and another to oversee the search for a new executive director to succeed Scholl in June.

Although Marsalis is the most visible figure, he credited key collaborators for helping grow the organization, including Carlos Henriquez, Ted Nash, Victor Goines, Walter Blanding, and Rodney Whitaker. Even after leaving the orchestra, many remain involved as arrangers, composers, and performers. “We keep working together,” Marsalis said.

A new generation of leaders, many now in their 40s and nurtured within Jazz at Lincoln Center, is ready to carry forward the mission. “My role now is to step aside and support their leadership,” Marsalis said.

During his tenure, which began when he was 26, Marsalis expanded the performance season and developed educational initiatives such as the Essentially Ellington competition for high school bands worldwide. Other programs include Let Freedom Swing for elementary students, the annual Jazz Congress for artists and industry professionals, and Blue Engine Records, which releases music from the institution’s digitized archives.

Looking ahead, the organization aims to raise $150 million for its endowment, increase performances in its own venues, and upgrade its facilities.

Marsalis expressed pride in establishing the “House of Swing” as a cultural landmark he believes will endure. “We’ve never been in a stronger position. Jazz at Lincoln Center is bigger than any one person. It’s an institution that will continue to thrive long after me.”