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Jonathan Koh, cello
Cellist Jonathan Koh has established himself as one of the most exciting musical entrepreneurs and teachers of this generation. An active soloist, ensemble musician, clinician, and administrator, Jonathan has already laid claim to several groundbreaking musical endeavors. A passionate and dedicated teacher who is gaining international recognition, Jonathan’s students have won countless major competitions and have performed across the globe. His students have also been featured in several media outlets throughout the world and have soloed with numerous professional orchestras.
Prior to relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area, Jonathan maintained a thriving teaching studio in Chicago and served as the primary teaching assistant to Hans Jorgen Jensen at the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, with whom he has studied with for over a decade. As an undergraduate student at Northwestern University, he taught undergraduate cello courses for non-music majors and was a teaching fellow at the National High School Music Institute.
Immediately following his undergraduate studies, Jonathan joined the San Francisco Conservatory of Music faculty as its youngest faculty hire in its school history. Soon after, Jonathan accepted an appointment to the cello faculty of the University of California at Berkeley. Jonathan’s teaching is continuously sought out by students, not only from across Northern California, but from Southern California, neighboring West Coast states, the Midwest, and Asia. Jonathan taught at the Meadowmount School of Music for four summers and he will join the Heifetz International Music Institute faculty in 2020.
Jonathan’s students have been finalists and received prizes in both national and international competitions including International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, Irving Klein International String Competition, American String Teachers Association, Music Teachers National Association, Lennox International Competition, and Mondavi National Young Artists Competition. Additionally, his students have been mentioned in Yo-Yo Ma’s biography by Jim Whiting, was chosen as a Fulbright Scholar, performed on NPR’s ‘From the Top’ radio and television show, performed on NBC’s ‘The Martha Stewart Show’, and released a commercial recording of the complete J.S. Bach Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello.
Jonathan’s extensive solo, orchestral, and chamber music experiences encompass several tours throughout the Far East, Europe, and across his native United States. At age 20, Jonathan took a position as substitute cellist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He also performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra. Jonathan has collaborated with Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, Pinchas Zukerman, Leon Fleischer, Carter Brey, Michael Tree, Karina Canellakis, Kyung-Sun Lee, and Noah Bendix-Balgley to name a few. At age 22, Jonathan recorded his first album under the NAXOS label as the principal cellist of the New Prospect Chamber Players.
Jonathan Koh received his education at Northwestern University, enrolling in its double-degree program to integrate pre-medicine, economics, and music. He also studied at Yale University Summer Program to further his studies in the medical field. In addition to his studies, Jonathan was the managing editor for the ‘Journal of Economics Management and Strategy’ at the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Jonathan was the founder and CEO of MUSICCAS, an online application solutions company. The company worked closely with various music institutions and collaborated on a project led by the United States Department of Education.
Jonathan performs on a Andrea Guarneri cello circa 1690.