Multi-Grammy and Oscar Award winner Jon Batiste has released his latest studio album, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), via Verve Records/Interscope. Marking the first installment in his new solo piano series, the project showcases his reinterpretations of some of Beethoven’s most iconic works, reimagined through an expansive and innovative lens.
In support of the project, Batiste recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where she joined him for an impromptu duet of “Für Elise-Batiste” from the album. Watch HERE. Stream or download Beethoven Blues HERE.
To coincide with the album release, Batiste debuted the visual for one of its original compositions, “Dusklight Movement.” Watch HERE. Further showcasing his unique approach to blending Beethoven’s classical compositions with the indomitable spirit of the blues, “Dusklight Movement” follows previously shared tracks from the album, including “Für Elise-Batiste” and “5th Symphony in Congo Square.” Watch the accompanying music videos for “Für Elise-Batiste” HERE and “5th Symphony in Congo Square” HERE.
Beethoven Blues is available now on CD, standard black LP, and a webstore-exclusive translucent black ice LP, with limited signed editions available exclusively through Batiste’s webstore.
Offering an expansive reimagining of Beethoven’s work, Beethoven Blues fuses classical and contemporary styles to embody Batiste’s “message of open-armed inclusivity” (New York Times). The inspiration for the project gained momentum following a 2023 interview with CNN’s Chris Wallace, where Batiste demonstrated music’s ability to transcend genre boundaries by transforming Beethoven’s Bagatelle No. 25 (“Für Elise”) on the piano. The clip, which has since garnered over 20 million views, signaled the perfect timing for this long-held album idea to become a reality. While Batiste has long incorporated classical music into his albums, TV performances, and live shows, Beethoven Blues marks the first time he has dedicated an entire album to this practice.
Beethoven Blues invites listeners into a living, evolving dialogue between Batiste and Beethoven, reimagining the composer’s timeless compositions through the lens of the blues and spontaneous creativity. Batiste, who grew up competing in classical piano competitions while gigging in New Orleans, approaches each track not as a simple rendition but as a conversation—extending Beethoven’s legacy into fresh musical territory. The album balances Beethoven’s structural and melodic intricacies with improvisational freedom, allowing Batiste to reinterpret each piece in real time and infuse it with the humanity and “blues” spirit that Beethoven himself might have embraced if it had been a genre of his era. This series transforms each performance into a unique and original work of art, inviting listeners into a communal and transformative experience.
The release of Beethoven Blues follows Batiste’s recent Grammy nominations for Best Music Film (for the critically acclaimed Netflix documentary AMERICAN SYMPHONY) and Best Song Written for Visual Media (for “It Never Went Away,” the stunning ballad from the film). Produced in partnership with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground, the documentary chronicles Batiste’s ambitious journey composing an original symphony for Carnegie Hall while supporting his life partner, NYT bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning journalist Suleika Jaouad, during her battle with recurring cancer. Co-written and produced with Grammy® Award-winning artist Dan Wilson, “It Never Went Away” also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.
Recognized as “a certified musical genius” (The Guardian), “a protean pianist and megawatt personality” (Variety), and “a once-in-a-generation talent” (Classic FM), Batiste blends classical training with a passion for connecting people through music. Born into a long lineage of Louisiana musicians, he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano from The Juilliard School, where he now serves as a Creative Associate and Board Member. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at Carnegie Hall as an Artist Trustee.
In the 2021–22 season, Batiste returned to his classical roots with a multi-concert Perspectives series at Carnegie Hall, culminating in the world premiere of his American Symphony (2022), hailed by Classical Source as “a joyous and beefy blend of orchestral sounds, funk, Dixieland, Latin, gospel, and more.”
Following the success of his critically acclaimed albums World Music Radio (2023) and We Are (2021), which collectively earned 15 Grammy nominations and six wins, Beethoven Blues is a testament to Batiste’s boundless creativity. His contributions to Disney/Pixar’s Soul (2020), including an Academy Award-winning original score, further illustrate his extraordinary range as an artist.
A master collaborator, Batiste has worked with legends across genres, including Beyoncé, Prince, Herbie Hancock, Andrea Bocelli, Yo-Yo Ma, and Chris Thile. He will join the BAFTA-nominated UK series The Piano as a mentor in its third season in early 2025.
Most recently, Batiste composed the innovative score for Jason Reitman’s SATURDAY NIGHT, now in theaters. His live, on-set music captures the intensity and unpredictability of the chaotic 90 minutes leading to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975.
Tracklist for Beethoven Blues:
- Für Elise-Batiste
- Symphony No. 5 Stomp
- Moonlight Sonata Blues
- Dusklight Movement
- Seventh Symphony Elegy
- American Symphony Theme
- Ode to Joyful
- 5th Symphony in Congo Square
- Waldstein Wobble
- Life of Ludwig
- Für Elise-Reverie
