Michael White + Liceu Big Band at the Liceu Conservatory

The New Orleans Jazz Museum, together with the Cervantes Hispano-American Art Foundation and the Liceu Conservatory Foundation, present a unique musical gathering celebrating the history and vitality of jazz: the Liceu Big Band, conducted by Sergi Vergés, with a very special guest: Michael White, clarinetist, bandleader, and conductor.

Through a repertoire that traces the roots, evolution, and diversity of jazz, performers from both sides of the Atlantic will share the stage to explore the rhythms, improvisations, and free spirit that define this genre.

A celebration of cultural exchange, creativity, and friendship between two cities, New Orleans and Barcelona, that share music, passion, history, and a future.

With this initiative, the New Orleans Jazz Museum, the Cervantes Hispano-American Art Foundation, and the Liceu Conservatory Foundation reaffirm their commitment to promoting the heritage of jazz and creating new spaces for artistic dialogue, fostering encounters between musical traditions that share a strong commitment to education, innovation, and excellence.

Michael White

Dr. Michael White is one of the most well-known, respected, and influential musicians in New Orleans. Born in this city, he is one of the few contemporary artists who has succeeded in preserving the authentic traditional New Orleans jazz style. Renowned for his classic clarinet sound, Dr. White is equally famous as a bandleader, historian, educator, producer, and dedicated cultural advocate for preserving and expanding the traditions of early jazz. His lineage includes first-generation jazz musicians such as bassist Papa John Joseph, clarinetist Willie Joseph, and saxophonist and clarinetist Earl Fouche, which deeply roots his art in the musical heritage of New Orleans.

Dr. White's musical education was shaped at St. Augustine High School, where he played in the acclaimed Marching 100 and Symphonic Bands. He also received private lessons from band director Edwin Hampton. Academically, he obtained a bachelor's degree in foreign language teaching from Xavier University of Louisiana, followed by a master's and doctorate in Spanish from Tulane University. In 2001, he was awarded the Charles and Rosa Keller Endowed Chair in the Humanities. He also founded Xavier's Culture of New Orleans series, an innovative program that combines scholarship with real culture professionals and live performances.

Beyond academia, Dr. White is highly respected as a jazz historian, lecturer, consultant, and producer. He has developed numerous jazz history programs, published extensively, served as a guest professor at Juilliard Jazz, conducted concerts for Jazz at Lincoln Center, and since 1995, has been a consultant and coordinator for traditional jazz at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. He has also maintained a long and significant artistic relationship with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

Dr. White's professional career began in 1975 with the brass band of Ernest «Doc» Paulin. Later, he worked closely with more than three dozen first-generation musicians born between 1890 and 1910, absorbing firsthand the musical knowledge and history passed down by artists who played alongside legends such as Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, and Sidney Bechet.

His clarinet style, original yet deeply rooted, is inspired by the rich Afro-Creole traditions exemplified by Johnny Dodds, Sidney Bechet, George Lewis, and others. While respecting the classic repertoire, Dr. White has expanded the tradition with original compositions and innovative reinterpretations, demonstrating that traditional New Orleans jazz remains a living and evolving art form.

Internationally acclaimed, Dr. White has performed throughout the United States and in nearly three dozen countries, appearing on stages such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Apollo Theater.

He has participated in more than one hundred recordings, including seventeen as bandleader, eight of which were released by Basin Street Records. His work has been widely praised by critics and has received numerous prestigious awards, including the NEA National Heritage Fellowship and the Order of Arts and Letters of France. In 2023, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery acquired his portrait, further confirming his enduring cultural legacy.