Grammy Award-winning musician and New Orleans native Jon Batiste will be the keynote speaker for Loyola University New Orleans’ commencement ceremony.
The ceremony will take place Saturday, May 13, at 10 a.m.
Batiste, who headlined Jazz Fest this month, comes from a long line of prominent Louisiana musicians, including jazz and blues musician Lionel Batiste.
In addition to headlining, Batiste warmed up for his Jazz Fest performance with an hour-long pop-up show at Maple Leaf Bar. He also took part in WOW 2023, the University of California Los Angeles' annual mental health summit where he was seen hanging with Oprah.
Batiste graduated from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, then went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degree in jazz studies from Juilliard.
In 2022, Batiste won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards for his studio album, “We Are.” He also worked with Disney and Pixar for their 2020 movie “Soul,” for which he shares an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, NAACP Image Award and a Critic’s Choice Award.
He is the second Black composer to win an Academy Award for composition.
From 2015 to 2022, Batiste served as the bandleader and musical director for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. He has also made appearances at various high-profile places, including the White House, the U.S. Open and the NBA All-Star Game.
In 2020, he performed his original composition, “Loyola Class of 2020 Shake” for Loyola’s graduating class.
The commencement ceremony will be livestreamed on Loyola’s YouTube Channel.
