Baptiste Trotignon

The pianist and composer Baptiste Trotignon developed his interest in jazz and improvisation in his teenage years. His early trio and solo piano albums established him as one of the most outstanding pianists of the new generation, opening the door to performances at important French and international festivals. He has enjoyed diverse collaborations with artists including Tom Harrell, Stefano Di Battista, Aldo Romano and Brad Mehldau.

He is also a composer, and in 2012 his first piano concerto Different Spaces was given its premiere by Nicholas Angelich. In 2018 his orchestral piece Hiatus et Turbulences was premiered by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France. His other works include his second piano concerto L’Air de rien, the trumpet concerto Move for Romain Leleu and the symphony Anima.

In 2008 he recorded his first American album Share in New York. In 2012 he released the vocal album Song Song Song with Melody Gardot and Christophe Miossec. For the album Hit, he brought groove master Jeff Ballard on board. In 2016 he and Kate Lindsey released Thousands of Miles, a project which brings together jazz and classical works. For the Sony Music label he has explored his love of South American traditional music through Chimichurri, featuring the Argentine percussionist Minino Garay, and Ancestral Memories with the Cuban saxophonist Yosvany Terry. Subsequent albums have included You’ve Changed with Joe Lovano, Ibrahim Maalouf, Camélia Jordana and Avishai Cohen and Brexit Music, which explores English pop repertory. In 2024 he demonstrated his multi-faceted musical personality through three albums: PianoForte with his long-term piano partners Eric Legnini, Bojan Z and Pierre de Bethmann, Ces messieurs featuring his Second String Quartet performed by the Quatuor Van Kuijk, and Piano Voix with Arthur Teboul, the lead singer from the rock band Feu! Chatterton. In 2026 he continued his musical explorations with Art is Simple, which freely blends jazz influences with elements of chanson, folk and pop. The album will be released in September 2026 by Naïve.

Baptiste Trotignon was born in Meulan-en-Yvelines and studied at the Paris Conservatoire. His numerous awards include the Prix Django Reinhardt, the Grand Prize at the Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition and the Victoire du Jazz. In 2011 he received the Grand Prix Sacem for his compositional achievements, and in 2018 he was named ‘Instrumentalist of the Year’ at the ECHO Jazz awards.