Grammy winner Jon Batiste to perform at Biden’s first state dinner

Jon Batiste is ready to strike a chord with world leaders.

President Biden enlisted the “Freedom” pianist-singer to perform Thursday at his administration’s first state dinner, which French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife are scheduled to attend.

“An artist who transcends generations, Jon Batiste’s music inspires and brings people together,” Dr. Jill Biden’s spokeswoman said.

“We’re thrilled to have him perform at the White House for the first state dinner of the Biden-Harris administration.”

The dinner, which was announced in September, will take place at the White House and recognize France’s longtime alliance with the United States. The event will be attended as well by Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff.

“The leaders will discuss our continued close partnership on shared global challenges and areas of bilateral interest,” reads a White House schedule released Sunday.

Macron previously attended a White House state dinner in 2018 during Donald Trump’s presidency.

Batiste, 36, was the bandleader on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in New York from 2015 until this August. He won five awards at the 2022 Grammys, including album of the year for “We Are.”

Released in March 2021, “We Are” is the sixth studio album by Batiste, who has been an artistic director at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem since 2012.

With News Wire Services