Jon Batiste

Legendary meets historic - we are Jazztage!

Honored with an Oscar, a Golden Globe Award and seven Grammys, the US-American singer, pianist and composer Jon Batiste will open the 46th Leverkusen Jazz Days on November 4.
composer Jon Batiste will open the 46th Leverkusener Jazztage on November 4 in the Historische
Stadthalle Wuppertal. Initiated by the main sponsor Bayer Kultur, this concert marks the start of a
concert marks the start of a collaboration between the Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal and the renowned jazz festival, which regularly brings together stars of the
of the international jazz scene in the breathtaking ambience of the Great Hall.

Jon Batiste is a seven-time Grammy Award winner and Oscar-winning singer, songwriter and composer.
In November 2024, Batiste released his eighth studio album Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1) on Verve Records/Interscope. This album kicks off his new solo piano series and presents Batiste's idiosyncratic reinterpretations of some of Beethoven's most iconic works - viewed through a broad, creative lens. The rearranged classics embody the indomitable spirit of the blues and - in keeping with Batiste's "message of open inclusivity" (The New York Times) - encompass a broad musical spectrum.
Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1) follows World Music Radio, which was released in August 2023. This album is inspired by Batiste's mission to create community and transcend cultural boundaries through the power of music. Contributing artists such as Jon Bellion, Lana Del Rey, Lil' Wayne and more added to the versatility of the album, which has been critically acclaimed for its universal message and genre-bending sound. NPR called the work "a far-reaching exploration of what global music can be". The album received a total of five Grammy nominations, including in the Album of the Year category. The following year, Batiste embarked on his first headlining tour under the title Uneasy Tour: Purifying the Airwaves for the People.
Batiste's innovative soundtrack can also be heard in the film SATURDAY NIGHT by director Jason Reitman, which was released in October 2024. The film depicts the chaotic 90 minutes leading up to the very first broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975. Batiste's music - a masterful blend of jazz, classical and modern sounds - was composed and produced live on set in front of the cast and crew. It impressively captures the intensity and unpredictability of this historic moment.
In 2023, Batiste was at the center of the moving Netflix documentary AMERICAN SYMPHONY by director Matthew Heineman - a production in collaboration with Higher Ground, Barack and Michelle Obama's company. For the film, Batiste co-wrote the emotional song It Never Went Away with Grammy Award-winner Dan Wilson, which was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Song category and for two Grammy Awards.
Batiste released the album We Are back in 2021, which was nominated for eleven Grammy Awards in seven different categories - a historic record. On the night of the ceremony, he took home five trophies, including the award for Album of the Year. He was previously nominated for a Grammy in the Best American Roots category in 2018, followed by two further nominations in 2020 for the albums CHRONOLOGY OF A DREAM: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD and MEDITATIONS (together with Cory Wong). For the soundtrack of the Disney/Pixar film SOUL, which he composed together with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Batiste received the Oscar for Best Film Music. He has also won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, an NAACP Image Award and a Critics' Choice Award.
From 2015 to 2022, Jon Batiste was musical director and bandleader of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on CBS.