Trumpeter, composer, musical visionary Wadada Leo Smith receives 2016 Doris Duke Artist Award

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) today announced that the boldly original composer, trumpeter and Pulitzer Finalist Wadada Leo Smith has been named a 2016 Doris Duke Artist. Smith is one of twenty-one awardees appointed in recognition of their creative vitality and ongoing contributions to the fields of dance, jazz and theater.

“To receive the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award is the highest honor,” said Smith. “It celebrates my achievements as a creative composer and performer in an art form that transcends boundaries. With the support of the Doris Duke Foundation, I now have the unique opportunity to develop a fresh connection to my art and to my community.”