Justin Kauflin is an award-winning, blind jazz pianist known for his clear touch and ideas, blending post-bop elements with the soulful influences of gospel music as highlighted by The New York Times. As leader, player, composer, and producer, he has released 10 recordings and collaborated on over 40 across music and film.
For a decade, he toured and worked under Quincy Jones and Quincy Jones Productions, performing across 25+ countries. After losing his sight at age 11, he has promoted technological accessibility for visually impaired musicians and producers, and is currently on faculty at the Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia, where he produces the GSA Jazz Nights concert series. He serves as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department and is a Yamaha Artist.
In 2015, Justin performed on Oscar Peterson's personal Bösendorfer for Oscar, with Love, alongside 16 elite pianists. In 2024, he released his first vinyl live recording, Justin Kauflin Trio Live at Sam First, and the duo album Danish Rain with Thomas Fonnesbaek. During the pandemic, he pivoted to sound design and film scoring, creating original music for documentaries including Reflection: A Walk with Water, My Sister Liv, Nespresso ads and trailer music for 12 Notes on Life and Creativity by Quincy Jones.
Musician Bio
What they say
"Simply beautiful Cat ... You can feel it in every note he plays"
QUINCY JONES
"A truly unique artist and sonic storyteller"
DERRICK HODGE
"His spirit and spirituality shine through his playing ... beautiful!"
MULGREW MILLER
"He's a monster on the piano! And, one of the greatest people I know"
CLARK TERRY
Performed & Recorded with
Ken Peplowski Steve Wilson Brian McCarthy James Saxsmo Gates Jeff Smith Roxy Coss Tim Green Stantawn Kendrick
Saxophonists
8 ARTISTS
Sheila Jordan Rene Martin Jacob Collier Katie Thiroux Liz Brydge Christie Dashiell Paul Marinaro Sahra Da Silva
Vocalists
8 ARTISTS
Thomas Fonnesbaek Derrick Hodge Dave Robaire Chris Smith Evan Gregor Phil Kuehn Michael Hawkins Mike Downes Rob Duguay Jimmy Masters Matt Hall Chris Funn Chris Brydge
Bassists
14 ARTISTS
Corey Fonville Billy Williams Mark Ferber Christian Euman Jimmy MacBride Cornelia Nilsson Jim Doxas Evan Sherman Al Hicks Nadav Snir-Zelnicker
Drummers
12 ARTISTS
Chico Pinheiro Alan Parker Matt Stevens Etan Haziza Ulf Wakenius
Guitarists
6 ARTISTS
Duo Pianists
6 ARTISTS
John Toomey
Jeremy Siskind
Gerald Clayton
Alfredo Rodriguez
Robi Botos
Clark Terry Quintet Clayton Brothers Quintet Katie Thiroux Trio Brian McCarthy Nonet Jae Sinnett Trio Songevity
Ensembles
6 GROUPS
Quincy Jones Clark Terry Mulgrew Miller Oscar Peterson
Legends
4 ICONS
Jazz Ambassador & Global Education
As a U.S. Department of State Jazz Ambassador — a title once held by his mentor Quincy Jones — Justin has brought jazz education, mentorship, and cultural exchange to classrooms and concert halls around the world, including performances and workshops in Tbilisi, Georgia; the Dominican Republic; Guanajuato, Mexico; and Riga, Latvia.
His connection to jazz's living lineage runs deep. At William Paterson University, he studied under the legendary Clark Terry, whose first student was Quincy Jones — the same Quincy Jones who would later sign Justin for management and take him on world tours. That chain of mentorship is something Justin takes seriously. He offers jazz clinics, master classes, and school residencies for students from high school through university level, and hosts community screenings of Keep On Keepin' On — the critically acclaimed, Oscar-shortlisted documentary that chronicles his friendship with Clark Terry and won both the Heineken Audience Award and Best New Director Award at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Teaching at the Governor's School for the Arts
In 2022, Justin returned to the Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia — the same school that shaped him as a teenager — this time as a faculty member. There he mentors the next generation of jazz musicians, drawing on everything he learned from Clark Terry, Mulgrew Miller, and Quincy Jones. He also founded and curates GSA Jazz Nights, a free concert series that brings the region's finest jazz musicians to students and the broader community.
Awareness & Accessibility
Justin's journey as a blind musician has made disability awareness and accessibility a natural extension of his artistry. After losing his sight at eleven, he navigated his education using Braille scores, assistive technology, and tools like Dancing Dots and Sibelius — resources that opened doors for him as both a performer and composer. He is a recipient of the Kennedy Center VSA International Young Soloist Award, recognizing both his musical excellence and his advocacy for musicians with disabilities.
Today, Justin actively promotes technological accessibility for blind and visually impaired musicians and producers, championing tools such as Native Instruments' Komplete Kontrol, the Microsoft AI app Seeing AI, and the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI) — the very organization that supported his own education. He believes that what is accessible becomes possible, and that the music world is richer when every musician can participate fully.
Resource Links
SEEING AI - A visual assistant for the blind, utilizing AI to audibly narrate the world. Free
BE MY EYES - Be My Eyes is a free app that connects users to volunteers and companies worldwide.
THE SEEING EYE GUIDE DOGS - Harnessing Freedom Video
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS - Accessibility guide for Komplete Kontrol software users.
VA DEPT. BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED - (DBVI) provides services and resources for employment, education & independence.
DANCING DOT TECHNOLOGY - Serves visually-impaired musicians & their educators through technology and training.
AVID MUSIC NOTATION - Sibelius Tutorial for screen reader users. Assistive Music Technology Lab at Berklee College.
NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE FOR THE BLIND - (NLS) offers a catalog of large-print & brailled scores and books.
NLS CONVERSATION WITH JUSTIN - Video
AUDIBLE BOOKS - Stories brought to life by captivating voices.
HR PARATRANSIT - Hampton Roads transportation solutions that are reliable, safe, efficient, and sustainable.
RAYBAN META GLASSES - AI glasses that blend cutting-edge technology with iconic style.
