Jon Batiste ‘so disappointed’ to cancel shows after testing positive for Covid

Jon Batiste said he was “so disappointed” as he cancelled several upcoming shows after testing positive for Covid-19.

The Grammy-winning artist said he would be absent from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and have to postpone the premiere of his American Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York – a show he had been working on for years.

Batiste said the decision to cancel was to “keep my family, my friends and our loyal fans safe” and reassured them that he would be returning to the stage soon.

“Hey family, I woke up yesterday and tested positive for COVID-19,” he wrote on Instagram, sharing a clip of himself playing a sombre piano piece to an empty theatre.

“To keep my family, my friends and our loyal fans safe, I will be absent from @colbertlateshow and will also unfortunately have to postpone the premiere of AMERICAN SYMPHONY at Carnegie Hall which – as many of you know – I have been working on for years.

“I have poured my heart and soul into this work and I am so disappointed that I can’t see it through at the moment, but it WILL happen one day.

“Thank you to my incredible team and all the musicians who have been on this journey with me.

“I look forward to the day I can share the stage with you all again and share this work with the world. Stay safe out there.”

The 35-year-old musician picked up five Grammy Awards from 11 nominations last month at the 64th annual ceremony, including the coveted gong for album of the year for his 2021 record We Are.

His success at one of the biggest nights in music has helped propel his work – which spans several genres including R&B, jazz, American roots music and classical – into the limelight.

He is due to make his acting debut in an upcoming remake of The Color Purple, playing Grady in the new Warner Bros adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker.