Jonathan is a music educator, presenter and conductor. His PhD is in music education and creativity, and he is a visiting professor at the Royal College of Music and Guildhall School of Music and Drama on those subjects. With a career nearing on thirty years, he has taught in a number of different settings, from being Head of Performing Arts at an FE college through to lecturing at Bristol University.
He coaches the senior students at Pro Corda, the national chamber music course, and enjoys improvising in jazz and world styles with the Dovetail Orchestra, a group for asylum-seeking musicians.
His conducting career included work with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Bristol Ensemble. He currently works with the St Ambrose Choir, a group of highly experienced singers.
As a freelance workshop leader, Jonathan devises and leads projects for orchestras, communities and music hubs. He also presents on music in concert halls across the UK, typically as the pre-concert speaker. Previous and current clients include BBC Radio 3, BBC Philarmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (as Participation Associate), BBC National Orchestra of Wales (as Discovery Guide), and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a creative lead on residential courses run by the National Children's Orchestra.
He was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to music in the King's birthday honours 2024, partly in recognition for his work with Pre-Conservatoire and with other community projects.