Few cities in America have shaped music as profoundly as New Orleans. Known as the birthplace of jazz, it gave us legends like Jelly Roll Morton, Buddy Bolden, and Louis Armstrong. But jazz is just the beginning—New Orleans has also been home to major figures in blues, R&B, gospel, funk, hip-hop, zydeco, bounce, and Creole music. And now, thanks to Terence Blanchard, we can add contemporary opera to that list. Blanchard has proven to be one of the most innovative and boundary-pushing artists—not just in opera, but across the entire music world. No matter the genre, he excels, solidifying his place as one of music’s most versatile composers. 

A Musical Upbringing 

Born and raised in New Orleans, Blanchard grew up in a household where music was ever-present. His father, Joseph Oliver Blanchard, was an amateur opera singer, and his mother, Wilhelmina, encouraged his early musical training. He started playing piano at five but switched to trumpet at eight after hearing the late, great trumpet player Alvin Alcorn perform at his school. Summers were spent at music camps alongside childhood friends and fellow jazz prodigies Wynton and Branford Marsalis. He continued honing his craft through college, studying jazz at Rutgers University. 

His big break came in 1982 at just 20 years old when he replaced jazz legend Art Blakey as bandleader of the iconic Jazz Messengers—a group that had been a proving ground for jazz greats like Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, and Freddie Hubbard. Blanchard earned this incredible opportunity thanks to his childhood friend Wynton Marsalis, who recommended Blanchard before leaving the band himself. 

Jazz Stardom and Film Scoring 

After leaving The Jazz Messengers, Blanchard formed a quintet with fellow messenger member (and New Orleans native) Donald Harrison, inspiring a new generation of jazz artists. His signature style—blending traditional jazz with fresh, genre-bending elements—was already taking shape. This became even more apparent in later works, such as his 2005 album Flow, produced by jazz icon Herbie Hancock. 

Blanchard’s foray into film began in 1989 when he performed on the soundtrack for Spike Lee’s masterpiece Do the Right Thing. That same year, he faced a setback when he had to step away from performing to correct his embouchure (the way a musician applies their mouth to a brass instrument). But he bounced back quickly, launching his solo career with a self-titled debut album that reached No. 3 on the Billboard jazz chart. He also reunited with Spike Lee for the 1990 musical Mo’ Better Blues, solidifying what would become a decades-long collaboration. 

In 1991, Blanchard composed his first film score for Lee’s Jungle Fever, kicking off a career that saw him score many of the director’s most acclaimed films, including Malcolm X, BlacKkKlansman, and Da 5 Bloods. He also composed the deeply personal score for Lee’s 2006 documentary When the Levees Broke, which chronicled the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, featuring a poignant scene of Blanchard and his mother searching for her destroyed home. The devastation of watching your childhood home gone forever is felt through what may be Blanchard’s most personal score yet. 

Beyond his work with Lee, Blanchard has scored films such as Harriet, One Night in Miami, and The Woman King, earning a reputation as a leading composer in Hollywood. As Entertainment Weekly put it, he has become "central to a general resurgence of jazz composition for film." 

Bringing Jazz to Opera 

With a legendary career in jazz, Blanchard could have stayed in his lane—but he didn’t. Instead, he took on the challenge of opera, bringing his innovative spirit to the art form. 

His first opera, Champion, premiered in 2013 as a collaboration between Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Jazz St. Louis. The work tells the story of real-life world champion boxer Emile Griffith, who struggled with his sexual identity in an era when society and his sport refused to accept him. Blanchard wove together jazz, blues, gospel, and classical opera to create a score that felt both deeply personal and universally relevant. Its debut coincided with the Supreme Court’s decision on the Defense of Marriage Act, adding even more weight to its themes. A decade later, Champion remains just as timely, as seen in its 2023 Metropolitan Opera premiere. 

Then came the premiere of Fire Shut Up in My Bones   at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 2019—a groundbreaking opera that cemented Blanchard’s place in operatic history. Based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by journalist Charles M. Blow, the opera fearlessly explores themes of trauma, family, and resilience. Blanchard’s unique blend of jazz, gospel, and classical elements resulted in one of the most daring and powerful operatic scores in recent memory. 

With its Metropolitan Opera premiere on the opening night of the 2021/22 season, Fire Shut Up in My Bones made history as the first opera by a Black composer to be performed at the Met. A year later, Champion followed suit, making Blanchard the first living composer since Richard Strauss to have two operas premiere at the Met in consecutive seasons. 

A Legacy of Innovation 

Blanchard has spent his career pushing boundaries, proving that genres don’t have to stay in their separate lanes. Whether in jazz, film, or opera, he brings the same passion, innovation, and storytelling brilliance to everything he touches. 

New Orleans has always been a city of musical pioneers, and Blanchard is one of its finest. His career is a testament to the city’s rich musical heritage, and his work continues to shape the future of multiple art forms. Whatever he does next, one thing is certain—it’ll be unlike anything we’ve heard before. 

Experience Blanchard’s genius live on April 6th at the Soraya. This electrifying concert will showcase music from Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion, with Blanchard leading his powerhouse E-Collective and the renowned Turtle Island Quartet. Joining them on stage are the incredible baritone Justin Austin and soprano Adrienne Danrich. Don’t miss this unforgettable night—get your tickets now.