M³ FESTIVAL Set For November in Brooklyn

Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M³) will present M³ Festival 2026, its fifth annual in-person international music festival, featuring some of the most groundbreaking composer-performers in the jazz, creative, electronic, singer-songwriter, experimental, and traditional music scenes, and beyond. 

One of New York City's only festivals dedicated entirely to underrepresented voices in jazz and creative music, the M³ Festival offers audiences from around the world a rare and unforgettable cultural experience centered on uplifting women and gender-expansive musicians from across the globe, offering something genuinely rare in New York City's cultural landscape.

The event takes place on Friday, November 6 at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and Saturday, November 7 at Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn. By spanning both neighborhoods, the festival gives New Yorkers the chance to experience the celebration in two distinct cultural hubs, bringing different communities together to mix and interact across the city. 

In just six years since its founding in 2020, M³ has commissioned and supported 100 artists across nine cohorts, published seven anthologies, produced six online and four in-person festivals, and bestowed five Luminary Awards. Cohorts are groups of up to a dozen composer-performers selected to participate in a 10-month intensive creative and professional development period.

This year's festival brings together an exceptional lineup of national and international musicians, featuring world premiere screenings of four original duo-commissioned music and film works; the presentation of the annual Luminary Award honoring a musician aged 60+ for decades of artistic achievement; and performances by acclaimed headlining artists alongside sets by 18 emerging to established bandleaders.

M³ Festival 2026 Schedule

Friday, November 6

Luminary Award Celebration, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the National Jazz Museum, 58 W 129th St., Harlem.  (6:30 p.m. cocktails and light fare, 7 pm program begins). Tickets $66–$1500.

Emceed by vocalist Kavita Shah the evening includes the presentation of the 2026 M³ Luminary Award to Jessica Jones, solo tributes to Jones by pianist Angelica Sanchez and saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, and world premiere film screenings by M³ Cohort 8 musicians Bahar Badiei, Bunga Dessri, Kim Clarke, Miranda Ingram Agnew, Mobéy Lola Irizarry, Mona Miari, Wen-Ting Wu, and Zahra Glenda Baker.

Saturday, November 7

M³ Festival Marathon, 7-10 pm at Roulette Intermedium, 509 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn. Tickets $35-$100. $100 tickets include VIP Meet The Artists Cocktail Reception and premium seating. The festival also highlights the release of M³ Magazine Vol. 2, as well as the announcement of the eight individuals chosen for the M³ Winter Solstice 2026 Cohort 9 starting in December 2026.

11 sets of live performances by 33 artists along with bandleaders from M³'s 6th and 7th Cohorts.

Full Line-Up: Terri Lyne Carrington • William Parker • Patricia Nicholson • Theo Bleckmann • Martha Redbone • Marta Sanchez • Caroline Davis • Aaron Whitby • Alexandria DeWalt • Allan Mednard • Carmen Quill • Carolina Borja-Marroquin • Chanelle Ignant • Charlie Burnham • Coco Elysses • Devon Gates • Ele Howell • Ge Linna • Kweku Aggrey • Mama Dee • Marcus Grant • Melissa Almaguer • Miranda Agnew • Morgan Guerin • Noa Fort • Paige Brown • Rashaan Carter • Stephan Crump • Summer Kodama • Tomas Fujiwara • Unma Allinar • Vitor Gonçalves • Yuhan Su

“This year's festival musicians are hands down some of the most groundbreaking composer-performers in the world today, each with a stunning clarity of vision that you'll rarely if ever find gathered together in one place,” says Shyu.

In the relentless pursuit of balance and diversity, the lineup of composer-performers was thoughtfully curated to embody innovation across genres. The M³ Festival serves as a testament to the power of inclusivity, demonstrating that when intentions focus on fostering a diverse and inclusive community of musicians and creators, it unlocks a world of boundless possibilities.