Irvin Mayfield, 36, is a Grammy and Billboard Award-winning artist with 15 albums to his credit. Mayfield is the founding Artistic Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and currently serves as Artistic Director of Jazz at the Minnesota Orchestra. He is a professor at the University of New Orleans, where he also serves as Director of the New Orleans Jazz Institute. President George W. Bush nominated Mayfield to the National Council on the Arts. In 2010, Mayfield received The Chancellor’s Award from the University of New Orleans (the highest ranking award given to a professor). And he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Dillard University in 2011. A passionate advocate for New Orleans and for the arts, Mayfield is Chairman of the Board for the Soledad O’Brien & Brad Raymond Foundation. Among several boards he serves, Mayfield is the Chairman Emeritus for the New Orleans Public Library and serves as President of The African American Museum of New Orleans.
"I met Gordon in his 90's and collaborated with him. He was my hero."
