Congratulations to guitarist/composer Pat Metheny, who has been named a 2018 NEA Jazz Master, the nation's highest honor in jazz. The recipients were announced last night at a DC Jazz Festival concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, where Metheny also performed. The NEA Jazz Masters are receiving this honor "for their lifetime achievements and exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz." Metheny's fellow honorees this year include vocalist Dianne Reeves, pianist Joanne Brackeen, and producer and club owner Todd Barkan. Each will receive a $25,000 award and be honored at a tribute concert on Monday, April 16, 2018, in Washington, DC.

"The NEA Jazz Masters represent the very pinnacle of talent, creativity, innovation, and vision," said NEA Chairman Jane Chu. "We look forward to celebrating these four new Jazz Masters and their many contributions to jazz."

Metheny's citation reads: "Metheny reinvented the traditional sound of jazz guitar, bringing a fresh sonic potential to the instrument while offering a deep reservoir of improvisational insight and musicality. While his music resists any easy description, his compositions cover a wide range of settings, from modern jazz to rock to country to classical."

The 2018 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert—produced in collaboration with the Kennedy Center, whose artistic director for jazz is Jason Moran—will take place on Monday, April 16, 2018, at 8 PM at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall and also streamed live. This concert will be free and open to the public; more information on how to obtain tickets will be available in early 2018.

For more information, visit arts.gov.