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Marcus Roberts
Soloist

Pianist Marcus Roberts is known throughout the world for his many contributions to jazz music as well as his commitment to integrating the jazz and classical idioms to create something wholly new. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where his mother's gospel singing and the music of the local church left a lasting impact on his music. He began teaching himself to play piano at age five after losing his sight but did not have his first formal lesson until age 12 while attending the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. At age 18 he went on to study classical piano at Florida State University. 

Mr. Roberts has won numerous awards and competitions, including the Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement and the 2024 Dorothy and David Dushkin Award by the Music Institute of Chicago. His critically acclaimed legacy of recorded music includes solo piano, duets, and trio arrangements of jazz standards as well as original suites of music for trio, large ensembles, and symphony orchestra. He launched his own record label, J-Master Records, in 2009. One of his more recent endeavors is the Modern Jazz Generation, a multigenerational band that is the realization of his long-standing dedication to training and mentoring younger musicians. 

Mr. Roberts is also an accomplished composer. He has been commissioned by Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Atlanta Symphony, the Saito Kinen Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra, among others. He was awarded a grant by South Arts and the Doris Duke Foundation for the creation of the audio-video project Tomorrow’s Promises. In addition to providing support to younger musicians, he continues to find ways to serve the blind and other disabled communities. In 2021 he served as the artistic director for the American Foundation for the Blind’s centennial gala and was a featured speaker/performer at the Disability:IN annual conference. Mr. Roberts is a professor of music at the Florida State University College of Music and a distinguished professor of music at Bard College. 

Marcus Roberts
Soloist

Pianist Marcus Roberts is known throughout the world for his many contributions to jazz music as well as his commitment to integrating the jazz and classical idioms to create something wholly new. He grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, where his mother's gospel singing and the music of the local church left a lasting impact on his music. He began teaching himself to play piano at age five after losing his sight but did not have his first formal lesson until age 12 while attending the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. At age 18 he went on to study classical piano at Florida State University. 

Mr. Roberts has won numerous awards and competitions, including the Helen Keller Award for Personal Achievement and the 2024 Dorothy and David Dushkin Award by the Music Institute of Chicago. His critically acclaimed legacy of recorded music includes solo piano, duets, and trio arrangements of jazz standards as well as original suites of music for trio, large ensembles, and symphony orchestra. He launched his own record label, J-Master Records, in 2009. One of his more recent endeavors is the Modern Jazz Generation, a multigenerational band that is the realization of his long-standing dedication to training and mentoring younger musicians. 

Mr. Roberts is also an accomplished composer. He has been commissioned by Chamber Music America, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Atlanta Symphony, the Saito Kinen Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra, among others. He was awarded a grant by South Arts and the Doris Duke Foundation for the creation of the audio-video project Tomorrow’s Promises. In addition to providing support to younger musicians, he continues to find ways to serve the blind and other disabled communities. In 2021 he served as the artistic director for the American Foundation for the Blind’s centennial gala and was a featured speaker/performer at the Disability:IN annual conference. Mr. Roberts is a professor of music at the Florida State University College of Music and a distinguished professor of music at Bard College.