Baker Artist Portfolios

Baltimore composer and pianist Joshua Espinoza balances his time sharing music on the stage and off. As a performer, Joshua has played with renowned artists including Miho Hazama, Warren Wolf, Paul Bollenback, Alex Norris, John D’earth, Mike Pope, Kris Funn, Brian Settles, Todd Marcus, Chuck Redd, and on national stages including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, the Barns at Wolftrap, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the DC Jazz Festival. His compositions explore the juxtaposition of light and darkness, introspection and exuberance. Inhabiting the undefined space between classical art music and jazz improvisation, Joshua's compositions represent a synthesis of varied influences and traditions with a clear and profound narrative arc.

Joshua was a finalist in the 2018 Ellis Marsalis International Jazz Piano Competition, and was named "Most Promising Semi-Finalist" in the UNISA International Jazz Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa (2016). Joshua was a recipient of a 2018 Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) Individual Artist Award for composition. Each summer, Joshua serves on the piano faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, MI and was previously on the faculties of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Franklin College (IN), and Morehead State University (KY).  He is currently on the faculty of the Peabody Institue of the Johns Hopkins University. Joshua holds a B.M. in Piano Performance from Furman University (SC) and an M.M. in Jazz Studies (minor in classical piano) from Indiana University.