Honoring and preserving the legacy of Duke Ellington
Photograph by Lia Chang
Martha Hill Dance
Lifetime Achievement Award 2025
Mercedes Ellington
Presented by Andre De Shields
Such Sweet Thunder – A Shakespearean Jazz Holiday Celebration at Symphony Space
Friday, December 12, 2025
7:00 PM 8:30 PM
Join us for a joyful holiday celebration honoring the legendary Duke Ellington, presented by the Duke Ellington Center for the Arts (DECFA) in association with the American Tap Dance Foundation (ATDF).
Musical Director Eli Yamin and The Duke Ellington Center Big Band, a dynamic 15-piece ensemble, will be joined by an extraordinary lineup of dancers, musicians, and vocalists including Mark Mindek, AC Lincoln, Karen Callaway Williams, DeWitt Fleming Jr., Antoinette Montague, Max Pollak, Valerie Levine, Miles Purinton, Karyn Tomczak & the Precision Dancers, and the Big Apple Ballroom Studio Dancers, all bringing Ellington’s sound and spirit to vivid life.
Audiences will experience the rarely heard complete performance of Such Sweet Thunder — Ellington’s twelve-part jazz suite inspired by the works of William Shakespeare and co-composed with Billy Strayhorn in just three weeks. This dazzling work transforms Shakespeare’s drama, wit, and poetry into bold, swinging jazz.
Duke Ellington’s Such Sweet Thunder is directed by Mercedes Ellington, Duke Ellington’s granddaughter, and Tony Waag, Founding Director of the American Tap Dance Foundation. This unforgettable evening promises a fusion of jazz, dance, and holiday spirit, celebrating Duke Ellington’s boundless creativity and cultural impact.
Tickets Available Here!
VIP $150
Advance $45
Member/Senior/Child/Student $25
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Preserving the Legacy of Duke Ellington
Considered one of America's greatest composers, arrangers, and bandleaders, with over 3,000 compositions attributed to him, Duke Ellington is a seminal figure in the history of American music. It is our honor to preserve his legacy through education, documentation, and performance.
“Love is supreme and unconditional; like is nice but limited.”
— Duke Ellington