Jonathan has been Principal Conductor of the highly acclaimed Derby Concert Orchestra since 1987. He founded the Derby Chamber Orchestra shortly afterwards, to further explore both classical and contemporary music.

During this time with the DCO he has developed an extensive repertoire, gaining invaluable experience building orchestras and working with fine professional soloists including Leon Goossens and Nigel Kennedy. Choral collaborations have included the Mozart and Brahms requiems and the Symphony of Psalms by Stravinsky.

Professional orchestral work has included engagements with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic 'Ensemble Ten Ten', Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir, London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, and The London Schubert Players.

Jonathan regularly conducts for orchestral courses at the Benslow Music Trust in Hitchin. Since 2004 he has also conducted the Chamber Orchestra at CSSM (formerly the Charterhouse Summer School of Music School) which moves to Sherborne, Dorset for 2008.

Jonathan enjoys an eclectic repertoire - from Mozart through Mahler to the present day - and is available for all types of conducting engagements.

Highlights - professional and non-professional groups
Future engagements
Education

Highlights - professional and non-professional groups

2008 Dvorak String Serenade with Shrewsbury Symphony Orchestra

2007 Stravinsky's Petrouchka with the Derby Concert Orchestra in Wirksworth

2003 Rite of Spring - with the Derby Concert Orchestra

2003 Violin Concerto by Philip Glass - with soloist Roy Theaker, leader of the Orquestra do Algarve.

2003 Debut with London Soloists' Chamber Orchestra at St John's, Smith Square, London. The programme included the first UK performance of the Symphonie Concertante for two pianos and string orchestra by the Romanian piano virtuoso and composer Dinu Lipatti.

Other first performances that year included the Concertino for Bassoon and String Orchestra by David Beck (2003) with the Lancashire Chamber Orchestra featuring Graham Salvage, Principal Bassoon of the Halle Orchestra.

2003 also featured a wide range of French music including both piano concertos by Ravel with pianist Grace Huang and Debussy's 'La Mer' .

2002 An acclaimed performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony with Derby Concert Orchestra and Derby Bach Choir in Derby Cathedral.

2000 UK première of Constantin Silvestri's own string orchestra arrangement of his Second String Quartet - at the Purcell Room on London's South Bank with The London Schubert Players.

2000 First performance of 'Flea Circus' by Gary Carpenter with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic's 'Ensemble Ten Ten' and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir. This programme also included Menotti's opera 'Amahl and the Night Visitors'.

1997 Jonathan visited Romania to conduct the Sinfonia Bucharest in Bucharest's celebrated Athenaeum Hall. In that same year he was invited to conduct The London Schubert Players on a tour of England and Wales including an appearance at the Gregynog Festival.

Future engagements

2008 CSSM (formerly Charterhouse Summer School of Music) at Sherborne, Dorset

2008 Benslow Music Trust 'group string quartet course' and conducting string orchestra

2009 Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony with The Derby Bach Choir in Derby Cathedral

Projects with the Middlewich Concert Orchestra and the Chesterfield Symphony Orchestra are also planned.

Education

International Conductors' Institute, Bulgaria
Course under American conductor Harold Faberman and Robert Gutter working with the Varna State Philharmonic.

University of York - BA (Hons) in Music
It was at York that Jonathan picked up his first baton. There then followed spells as a freelance violinist with the Ulster Orchestra, New Sadler's Wells Opera and the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and as Music Course Director at a Nottinghamshire community school before Jonathan left to focus on conducting.

Birmingham School of Music (now Birmingham Conservatoire) - studying violin under Ernest Element.

Royal Manchester College of Music (now RNCM) - ARMCM Diploma. Principal instrument violin studying under Walter Jorysz.

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