Grammy winner Jon Batiste headlining intimate Napa fundraiser

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jon Batiste plans to celebrate Festival Napa Valley’s summer season with a charity concert.   

The organization has tapped Batiste to headline its annual Arts for All Gala on July 13, which helps to raise funds for arts programs, scholarships and other education initiatives. 

“His boundless positivity, creativity, and passion for bringing people together through music align perfectly with the Gala’s mission to celebrate the transformative power of education and the arts,” Mary Beth Shimmon, who is chairing the event with her husband, Festival Napa Valley board member David Shimmon, said of Batiste via an email.  

The five-time Grammy Award-winning musician just launched a new solo piano series with his recent album, “Beethoven Blues,” and is responsible for the score of Jason Reitman’s 2024 film “Saturday Night.” He also starred in and composed the 2023 Netflix documentary, “American Symphony,” which follows Batiste as he learns that his partner, author Suleika Jaouad, has cancer. Two years prior, he won an Academy Award for his work on the score of Pixar’s animated feature “Soul.”

Reservations for the gala are now open for Festival Passport and Opening Weekend Patron passholders and table sponsors. A limited number of individual passes will be available in the spring. 

The annual charity event has raised more than $28 million since launching in 2010, and supports education programs, music and wellness initiatives, scholarships and financially accessible concerts. 

Guests at the gala will be treated to a dinner by Chef Rogelio Garcia, the executive chef of the Michelin-starred Auro at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Napa Valley, and each course will be paired with wines from Far Niente Wine Estates. There will also be a live auction featuring luxury getaways, performing arts experiences and wines.