Joonas Haavisto is one of the most notable jazz musicians in the Nordic jazz scene. He has performed as a soloist with chamber orchestras and big bands and leads his group Joonas Haavisto Trio, which released its fifth album Offshore in 2019. The trio has performed worldwide at venues such as Blue Note Jazz Club New York, Tokyo Jazz Festival, DC Jazz Festival, Rochester International Jazz Festival, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Jazzahead!, Les Boréales Festival, and Pori Jazz Festival.

In 2017, Joonas joined the world famous Steinway Artist roster. In his compositions, Haavisto combines memorable themes with multi-layered, surprising rhythmic motifs and sophisticated harmonies. Joonas has also composed music for various groups, from a trio to a big band. In 2016, he composed and played the piano music for the film The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, which won the Un Certain Regard prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Known for his crystal clear piano sound and versatile musicality, Joonas has been invited to play and compose music for various projects in recent years. In 2020, he played a piano concerto Borderlines, composed by Mikko Pellinen. The premiere took place in Kokkola with the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra. Joonas has also played with some of the best jazz musicians such as Jerry Bergonzi, Jonathan Blake, Boris Kozlov, Jaleel Shaw, Ralph Alessi, Jonathan Kreisberg, Tivon Pennicott, Troy Roberts, Michael Formanek, John Fedchock, Bill Watrous, Sinne Eeg, Bertil Strandberg, Jukkis Uotila, and Jukka Perko.

In 2024, the Japanese label Blue Gleam released Haavisto's debut solo piano album Inner Inversions, in which he arranged Bach's Preludes and Fugues and mixed them with jazz harmonies and improvisation. The album was selected as one of the best new jazz albums by the largest record store in Japan, Tower Records, and received excellent reviews in major jazz magazines.

Joonas was also invited to perform a Spiriocast concert at the prestigious Steinway & Sons Studio in Hamburg, Germany. It was broadcast live around the world in December 2024.

Joonas has been playing with his trio all over the world for twenty years. Together with bassist Antti Lötjönen and drummer Joonas Riippa, the trio has released five albums and received rave reviews in international music magazines. They have been touring Japan regularly since 2013. It has been said that "the trio's real thrill lies in its unique balance and those breathtaking moments in their nuanced playing" (CD Journal, Feb 2016).