About Justin Kauflin | Blind Jazz Pianist, Composer, Film Scorer, Clark Terry Protege, Quincy Jones Collaborator

"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"

MULGREW MILLER

"He's a monster on the piano! And, one of the greatest people I know"

CLARK TERRY

Justin Kauflin is an award-winning jazz pianist who "favors a clarity of touch and ideas. His writing is balanced, tempering post-bop ideas with the assurances of the gospel church" -NY Times. As leader, player, composer, and producer, he has released 10 recordings and collaborated on over 40 projects across music and film.

For a decade, he toured and worked under Quincy Jones and Quincy Jones Productions, performing across 25+ countries, and collaborating with 'Q' on 2 albums, Dedication and Coming Home.

After losing his sight at age 11, he has promoted technological accessibility for visually impaired musicians and producers.

In 2015, Justin performed on Oscar Peterson's personal Bösendorfer for Oscar, with Love, alongside 16 elite pianists. During the pandemic, he pivoted to sound design and film scoring, creating original music for documentaries including Reflection: A Walk with Water and My Sister Liv; Nespresso ads and trailer music for 12 Notes on Life and Creativity by Quincy Jones. In 2024, he released his first vinyl live recording, Justin Kauflin Trio Live at Sam First, and his third duo album, Danish Rain, with Thomas Fonnesbaek.

Since 2022, he has been on faculty at the Governor's School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia, where he also produces GSA Jazz Night concerts. He also serves as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department and is a Yamaha Artist.

PERFORMED / RECORDED WITH

Duo Pianos

John Toomey Jeremy Siskind Gerald Clayton Alfredo Rodriguez Robi Botos

Saxophonists

Ken Peplowski Steve Wilson Brian McCarthy James Gates Jeff Smith Roxy Coss Tim Green Stantawn Kendrick

Vocalists

Sheila Jordan Rene Martin Jacob Collier Katie Thiroux Liz Brydge Christie Dashiell Paul Marinaro Sahra Da Silva

Bassists

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

Drummers

Corey Fonville Billy Williams Mark Ferber Christian Euman Jimmy MacBride Cornelia Nilsson Jim Doxas Evan Sherman Al Hicks Nadav Snir-Zelnicker

Guitarists

Chico Pinheiro Alan Parker Matt Stevens Etan Haziza Ulf Wakenius

Ensembles

Clark Terry 5tet Clayton Brothers 5tet Katie Thiroux Trio Brian McCarthy 9et Jae Sinnett Trio Songevity

Legends

Quincy Jones Clark Terry Mulgrew Miller Oscar Peterson Sheila Jordan

"Your sound is you and what you really feel inside"

CLARK TERRY

WATCH MOVIE

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.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

My approach is built on three pillars:

DISCIPLINED CRAFT: Technique training boosts creativity;

AUTHENTIC VOICE: Skills should enable personal expression and unique storytelling;

RESILIENCE: Losing my sight at 11 taught me to view challenges as growth opportunities.

CLINIC TESTIMONIALS

"They made our band room seem like the center of the jazz universe" -VCU JAZZ

"Justin is a natural teacher - with his honesty, sensitivity, temperament and ability to inspire." -GSA JAZZ

"An artist like Justin, who is only a few years older than the students - has a particular resonance" -TRINITY EPISCOPALIB MUSIC

SCHEDULING

For inquiries about screenings, clinics, or residencies email Justin directly

Keep On Keepin' On Official Trailer 1 (2014) - Documentary HD

02:15

Jazz Appreciation Month: Quincy Jones & Justin Kauflin 🎹

03:22

Justin Kauflin | Curate: Season 8, Episode 12

05:38

AWARENESS & ADVOCACY

"Being blind is only a part of who we are. It should never be something that defines us" -JK

Justin lost his sight at the age of eleven and 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 went on to graduate summa cum laude, tour with Quincy Jones, and score a documentary that was shortlisted for an Oscar. He is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Access/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, demonstrating tools such as Native Instruments' Komplete Kontrol. He believes that what is accessible becomes possible, and that the music world is richer when every musician can participate fully.