Since the 1970s, Karlton Hester has organized numerous festivals, symposia and smaller and invited world-renowned visiting guest artists and speakers. Events ranged from concerts featuring professional combos alone and with student ensembles (with guest "jazz" legends such as Donald Byrd, Cecil Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Buddy Collette, Louis Jordan, Randy Weston, Jaki Byard, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Steve Turre, and Makanda McIntyre. Some festivals also include symposia with paper presentations, workshops and panel discussions. At Cornell University he was the founding director of the Annual Cornell University "Jazz" Festival (9 festivals in the 1990s and 2000) and at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he created the Global African Music Festival Series (2002 & 2003).

Festival Photos: http://aainnovators.com/CMS/modules/xoopsgallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album42