Antoinette Champion

Antoinette Champion
Name	Antoinette Champion
Birth date	c. 1978
Birth place	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Occupation	Singer, composer, educator
Instruments	Voice, piano
Years active	1998–present
Genres	Jazz, Gospel, R&B, Contemporary Christian

Antoinette Champion is an American vocalist, composer, and educator known for blending jazz and gospel music traditions into contemporary interpretations. Her career spans performance, studio recording, and institutional teaching, with collaborations across New Orleans and national music scenes. Champion's work intersects with community arts organizations, faith-based ensembles, and higher-education programs, earning recognition from both secular and religious institutions.

Early life and education

Champion was born in New Orleans and raised in a musical family with ties to local churches and community choirs such as Second Line Jazz Band ensembles and neighborhood gospel choirs. She studied piano and voice in youth programs affiliated with Tulane University outreach and received private instruction influenced by pedagogues from Berklee College of Music and Juilliard School alumni who relocated to Louisiana. For undergraduate study she attended a conservatory linked to Howard University partnerships, concentrating on voice, harmony, and composition while participating in festivals like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and workshops connected to the Newport Jazz Festival and Getty Center residencies. Her postgraduate work included pedagogy courses coordinated with faculty from University of New Orleans and collaborative masterclasses facilitated by visiting artists from Lincoln Center and the Opéra de Paris.

Musical career

Champion's early professional career involved residencies in French Quarter clubs and performances at venues such as Preservation Hall, Tipitina's, and the House of Blues in New Orleans. She toured regionally with gospel choirs associated with Greater New Hope Baptist Church and secular combos that opened for acts like Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, and Aaron Neville. Champion's repertoire combined standards from the Great American Songbook with original material informed by Mahalia Jackson-style gospel phrasing and Ella Fitzgerald-inspired scat. She participated in collaborative projects with producers from Blue Note Records, Verve Records, and independent labels connected to the Soul Train community, appearing on billings alongside artists from Erykah Badu to Brian Blade.

Her work expanded into studio sessions in Los Angeles, New York City, and Nashville, where she contributed vocal arrangements for recordings by artists associated with Motown legacies and contemporary Christian music labels. Champion also performed at national gatherings including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Essence Festival, and educational showcases at Smithsonian Institution programs. Her stylistic versatility led to commissions for theatrical productions in partnership with companies such as Arena Stage and collaborations with choreographers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Teaching and advocacy

Parallel to performing, Champion developed a pedagogical profile teaching vocal technique, ensemble direction, and songwriting. She served as adjunct faculty at institutions like Dillard University and workshops hosted by Berklee College of Music extension programs and community conservatories affiliated with The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). Her advocacy work includes partnerships with arts nonprofits such as Arts Council of New Orleans and youth initiatives modeled after El Sistema projects, seeking increased access to after-school music programs in underserved neighborhoods affected by post-Hurricane Katrina rebuilding efforts.

Champion has delivered clinics at conferences organized by National Association for Music Education and faith-based arts symposia linked to National Baptist Convention, promoting culturally responsive curricula that integrate oral traditions from African American churches and secular jazz lineages. She has served on panels with representatives from John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and policy forums convened by National Endowment for the Arts affiliates, advocating for sustainable funding models for community ensembles and artist residencies.

Discography and recordings

Champion's discography includes studio albums, live recordings, and guest appearances. Notable releases feature collaborations with producers and arrangers connected to Blue Note Records and RCA Records engineers from sessions in Nashville and New York City. Her albums blend interpretations of standards from Cole Porter and George Gershwin with original compositions reflecting influences from Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday, and Ray Charles.

She has released: a debut EP capturing live work at Preservation Hall; a full-length album recorded with a small ensemble featuring musicians who played with Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard; and a gospel-leaning studio album produced in collaboration with arrangers who worked with Kirk Franklin and Tramaine Hawkins. Her recordings have been broadcast on NPR Music, featured in playlists curated by Apple Music and Spotify, and archived in collections at the Library of Congress and regional sound archives.

Awards and recognitions

Champion's recognitions include grants and awards from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, local honors from the Mayor of New Orleans cultural awards, and fellowships administered by The MacDowell Colony-style artist residencies. She received performance fellowships supported by Jazz at Lincoln Center affiliates and was a nominee for regional music awards presented by OffBeat magazine. Her educational outreach was acknowledged with honors from Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and awards from statewide arts councils.

Category:American jazz singers Category:American gospel musicians Category:People from New Orleans