Jon Stojan
It’s an alternate universe: one where Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart are channeling Havana more than Vienna”
– Joachim Horsley
What happens when classical virtuosity collides with Cuban rhythms? To answer that, many would be quick to point you to Joachim Horsley. He’s made himself impossible to ignore, dominating the classical circuit with sold-out performances and critical acclaim.
The award-winning pianist, composer, and orchestrator has spent the greater part of the past two decades interlocking the storied traditions of classical music with the heat of Havana. Horsley’s fascination with Afro-Caribbean rhythms began in 2015 during a trip to Cuba, where he became enamored with Rumba. It went on to define his sound, with his full-length album “Via Havana” debuting in 2019 and cementing his name among the contemporary greats of classical music. Within that seminal album was the standout track “Beethoven in Havana,” a groundbreaking reinterpretation of “Beethoven’s 7th Symphony” that used the piano as a percussive ensemble. Since its official premiere, the video has racked up over two million views, with worldwide acclaim from publications like Classic FM declaring it a “truly extraordinary cover.”
“Caribbean Nocturnes” (2021) continued that momentum, highlighting his ongoing collaborations with musicians across the Caribbean. He performs solo, with orchestras, and with his band, LittleHorse, which has received national attention from NPR and Keyboard Magazine. In 2025, “Afro Bach” earned him a Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Arrangement for “Bach’s Cuban Concerto for Piano and Tres.”
Beyond the concert stage, Horsley’s repertoire extends deep into the realm of film and television, with over 50 credits including HBO’s “Gordita Chronicles,” Lionsgate’s Oscar-nominated “Rabbit Hole,” and the award-winning short documentary “Unattached.” He also received an Annie Award for “Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television/Media Production” for his work on Disney’s “Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation.”
His work has reached broad audiences across major networks including NBC, ABC, HBO, TruTV, A&E, the Biography Channel, the History Channel, and the Travel Channel. He also contributed to the deeply satirical, Peabody Award-winning “Onion News Network.” On the festival circuit, his scores have screened at Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, Telluride, Palm Springs, and Tribeca, among other international festivals.
A proud Steinway & Sons Artist, Horsley has performed at leading venues worldwide, including Warsaw’s Philharmonic Hall, Paris’s renowned Studio de l’Ermitage, and a special performance in Havana with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba for La Fiesta del Tambor. Bringing unmistakable charisma and creativity to every performance, his live shows consistently draw packed theaters.
Above all, Horsley believes that true innovation happens when genre boundaries are crossed and pushed to their limits until they crack. For him, music is composed not just to be heard, but to be felt.