ABOUT UDOBI
UDOBI is the professional name of Washington, D.C. born pianist, composer, producer, and songwriter Hope Udobi Nwachukwu. Drawing from contemporary jazz, classical music, soul, hip hop, and cinematic composition, he has developed a distinctive musical voice shaped by both his American roots and formative childhood years in Nigeria.
A versatile international performer, UDOBI has worked with artists including Jeff “Tain” Watts, Bobby Watson, Delfeayo Marsalis, Mary J. Blige, Fred Yonnet, Common, Talib Kweli, GoldLink, Yaya Bey, Isaiah Collier, Sarah Hanahan, and others. His career has taken him throughout the United States, Canada, Brazil, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia, with appearances at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival, Big Ears Festival, and stages including Blue Note Jazz Club, The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, Keystone Korner, DROM, The Hamilton, City Recital Hall Angel Place, Vivo Rio, and Northcote Theatre.
In 2016, UDOBI served as Artist in Residence at Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha, an extended international residency that further developed his voice as a performer and improviser.
In 2019, he was a featured speaker at SXSW for Bose RADAR’s Augmented Audio Experience, presenting on immersive and three dimensional audio production and contributing original music to the Bose augmented audio platform.
In 2021, UDOBI participated in Dave Chappelle’s Boot Camp, expanding his work within a creative environment that brought together music, comedy, and live performance.
His debut album, In The Wild, premiered with a sold out release performance at New York City’s Blue Note Jazz Club and features ten original compositions blending improvisation, rhythmic depth, and cinematic storytelling.
In 2024, UDOBI appeared in the acclaimed Apple TV series Lady in the Lake.
During ’24/’25, he composed original music and served as musical director for Lovers Rock, a musical created by YoungArts Fellow Joseph Webb and developed at the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat with support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
UDOBI has also been featured in DownBeat and The Washington City Paper. Whether leading his own ensemble or collaborating across genres, his performances combine technical command, improvisational freedom, and a strong sense of narrative.
