Multi-Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician Jon Batiste will perform as part of an evening concert celebration at the inauguration of the University of Notre Dame’s 18th president, Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, in Purcell Pavilion.
Batiste is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, composer and television personality with 20 Grammy nominations, including five wins. He composed music for the 2020 film Soul, which went on to win the Academy Award for best original score, a Golden Globe Award for best original score, a Critics Choice Award, and a BAFTA Award. His 2021 Grammy-winning album of the year, We Are, featured the hit song “Freedom,” which also won a Grammy for best music video.
Batiste and his band, Stay Human, served as the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for seven years before he set out to pursue personal interests, which included premiering his first symphony, titled American Symphony, at Carnegie Hall in 2022, and the filming of a Netflix documentary about his compositional journey while supporting his wife, best-selling author Suleika Jaouad, through a battle with cancer.
Notre Dame faculty, staff, students, and distinguished guests will soon be invited to register for the free, 90-minute celebratory performance.