Musician Jon Batiste will perform at US president Joe Biden’s first White House state dinner on Thursday, highlighting long-standing ties between the United States and France and honouring French president Emmanuel Macron.
“An artist who transcends generations, Jon Batiste’s music inspires and brings people together,” said Vanessa Valdivia, a spokesperson for First Lady Jill Biden, whose office is overseeing dinner preparations.
“We’re thrilled to have him perform at the White House for the first state dinner of the Biden-Harris administration,” Valdivia said.
Batiste (36) most recently was bandleader and musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, leaving the broadcast after a seven-year run.
He won five Grammy awards earlier this year, including for album of the year for We Are.
Batiste composed music, consulted on and arranged songs for Pixar’s animated film Soul.
He won a Golden Globe for the music alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails. The trio also earned the Academy Award for best original score.
