Meet Jon Batiste, the Grammy-winning composer and pianist conquering the music world

19 June 2024, 11:27 | Updated: 19 June 2024, 13:45

Everything you need to know about the musical multi-hyphenate fusing classical, jazz and pop to take over the music world.

Jon Batiste is an American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist and television personality, who has just joined the judging panel of Season 3 of The Piano. He first rose to fame in the late 2010s, and hasn’t stopped since.

At just 37, Batiste has collaborated with names like Stevie Wonder, Prince, Willie Nelson, Beyoncé, Lenny Kravitz, Laufey, Lang Lang, Itzhak Perlman, and even former first lady, Michelle Obama.

In 2020, he co-composed the jazz-inspired score for the Pixar animated film Soul, which earned him an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Grammy and a BAFTA Film Award. In total, Batiste has earned five Grammy Awards from 20 nominations, including an Album of the Year win for his 2021 album, We Are.

To say the least – Batiste wears many different hats. In addition to being a successful musical artist, he also serves as the music director of The Atlantic and the creative director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He’s even been the subject of a Netflix documentary, American Symphony (2023), which records the process of Batiste composing his first symphony.

His list of accolades is staggeringly impressive. So who is this multi-talented superstar, what is his connection with classical music, and how did he rise to fame?

Read more: Michelle Obama reveals piano skills in playful ‘Charlie Brown’ duet with Jon Batiste

What is Jon Batiste’s background?

Jon Batiste was born in Louisiana to a prominent musical family. Several of his relatives are names in the music industry, primarily in the New Orleans jazz scene. He began his own musical journey at eight years old, playing drums and percussion with his family’s band, the Batiste Brothers Band.

When he turned 11, however, his mother had other ideas. She suggested he switch to piano. He began taking classical piano lessons with a local teacher, and continued every Saturday until he was 18.

He attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, a pre-professional arts training centre, and released his debut album, Times in New Orleans, at age 17. He then went on to attend the Juilliard School, earning both a Bachelor of Music in 2008 and a Master of Music in 2011, in jazz studies.

While at Juilliard, he released his second album, Live in New York: At the Rubin Museum of Art. By the end of 2006, Batiste had been a featured soloist in London, Paris, Spain, Lisbon, South Africa and the United States. In 2007, he made his debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam at just 20 years old, producing and performing his own show. In just over a decade, he would go on to be one of the most decorated, chart-topping musicians of a generation.

What instruments does Jon Batiste play?

Hailed as a musical prodigy, Jon Batiste is a multi-talented artist who plays many instruments. While he is perhaps best known for his piano prowess, Batiste is also a talented vocalist, and plays the melodica and the guitar. As a classically-trained pianist, much of the inspiration in his own playing style comes from classical greats.

Watch a musical journey progress in the video below, from Beethoven all the way to gospel music, at Batiste’s fingertips. Then, witness his brilliance on the melodica.

Read more: Viral piano star interrupts ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ with a mind-blowing melodica duet surprise

Jon Batiste Serenades with a Melodica

What genre is Jon Batiste’s music?

Drawing influences from his classical piano training as well as a family history of jazz and the blues, Jon Batiste’s unique musical genre blurs the lines between any traditional ‘categories’. He creates a unique fusion of classical, jazz, R&B and pop, bringing classical flair into the 21st-century mainstream.

Batiste credits Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder, John Coltrane, Mahalia Jackson, James Brown, Nina Simone, and Miles Davis as the artists who have most influenced his artistic and musical choices.

In addition to jazz and R&B influences in his sound, classical flourishes in his music. He even penned a solo piano composition called ‘Chopinesque’, a bluesy reimagining of Chopin’s famous Nocturne No.20 in C sharp minor. Just two tracks later on the same album, Batiste’s original nocturne, Nocturne No.1 in D minor, appears to even draw influences from Bizet and his iconic ‘Habanera’.

In the span of one album, the 2018 release Hollywood Africans, Batiste goes from a cover of Louis Armstrong’s much-loved ‘What a Wonderful World’, to a Chopin-inspired composition, to a blues standard (‘Saint James Infirmary Blues’), weaving his way in and out of the classical, jazz, blues and pop sound worlds seamlessly.

Chopinesque

Lang Lang, Jon Batiste - Chopsticks

Why is Jon Batiste so famous?

While his success and popularity primarily comes from his musical talents, Jon Batiste skyrocketed to fame in the 2010s, in large part due to his role on The Late Show with Steven Colbert. Serving as the show’s musical director from 2015 to 2022, he gained national television exposure leading his band, Stay Human.

Along with his musical genius, he became known for his charming persona, signature style and versatility as an artist. He is also known for performing music in unconventional public spaces to expose more people to genres like classical and jazz, with his band. In fact, Batiste named the band ‘Stay Human’ to represent his belief that human interaction during a live musical performance can uplift humanity, particularly in a time of disconnection and despair. The band leads impromptu street performances, which Batiste calls ‘love riots’.

Batiste is also known for his activism and philanthropic work. He is a vocal supporter of civil rights and the fight against racism, participating often in demonstrations, including the marches promoted by the Black Lives Matter movement.

He is an inspiration to younger generations – not only because of his musical skills, but also because of his personality, activism and style.

Who is Jon Batiste’s family?

Jon Batiste is married to journalist, musician and best-selling author Suleika Jaouad. The two met as teenagers at band camp in Louisiana. In April 2022, the couple revealed in a news interview that they had been married in a private ceremony at home in February 2022.

When Jaouad was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 2011, doctors said she had only a small chance to live. She survived, and she has since written and spoken extensively about her struggle with cancer. In December 2021, Jaouad announced her cancer had returned and that she had undergone a second bone marrow transplant. Much of the Netflix documentary American Symphony focuses on the resurgence of her cancer through the lens of her relationship with Batiste.

With Jon Batiste’s dazzling list of achievements, musical collaborations and creations, it’s hard to imagine what’s next for this 37-year-old.

What is clear is that Jon Batiste is a once-in-a-generation talent, with a passion for sharing music with the masses and connecting people through a shared love of music-making. He shows no signs of stopping, and we can’t wait to see what he goes on to achieve next.