News

SUMMER 2024 ANNOUNCEMENT!

This summer, Jonah will attend three programs: Yellow Barn’s Young Artists Program (YAP) in Putney, VT, Wintergreen Music’s LEAD Cooperative Conducting Program in Nellysford, VA, and the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival’s Young Composers Seminar in Burlington, VT.

In June, Jonah will return to Yellow Barn’s Young Artists Program (YAP), through which he will have the opportunity to study with Stephen Coxe, learn from distinguished guest artists such as Steven Mackey and Wang Jie, and write two pieces for the outstanding YAP musicians.

In July, Jonah will participate in Wintergreen Music’s LEAD Cooperative Conducting Program, where he will study with Artistic Director Erin Freeman and Master Teacher Miguel Harth-Bedoya, participate in several masterclasses and workshop sessions, and lead public performances with the Wintergreen Festival Artists.

In August, Jonah will participate in the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival’s (LCCMF) Young Composers Seminar, through which he will work with Resident Composer David Serkin Ludwig and write a new work for the incredible Festival Artists.

JONAH RECEIVES FIRST PRIZE IN 2024 TRIBECA NEW MUSIC YOUNG COMPOSER COMPETITION

Jonah’s piece for piano quartet, titled THAT SPECIAL PLACE, was recently awarded First Prize in the 2024 Tribeca New Music Young Composer Competition, Division 2! THAT SPECIAL PLACE will be performed in New York City in Fall 2024 as part of the Tribeca New Music 2024 Festival.

JONAH RECEIVES HONORABLE MENTION IN 2023 FIVEMIND REEDS CALL FOR SCORES

Jonah’s piece for reed quintet, titled LIMITATION & LOCOMOTION, was recently awarded an Honorable Mention in Fivemind Reeds’ 2023 Call for Scores.

JONAH RECEIVES HONORABLE MENTION IN 2023 VANCOUVER CHAMBER CHOIR YOUNG COMPOSERS’ COMPETITION

Jonah’s piece for SATB choir, titled LISTENING, was recently awarded an Honorable Mention in Vancouver Chamber Choir’s 2023 Young Composers’ Competition.

JONAH SELECTED AS WINNER OF EMBER ABLAZE COMPOSER LAB COMPETITION; COMMISSIONED BY EMBER

Recently, Jonah was selected as the Winner in the Youth Composer division of Ember Choral Arts’ Ember Ablaze Composer Lab Competition! As a result, he has commissioned to write a new piece for SATB choir and piano which will be premiered by Ember in New York City, NY and Montclair, NJ in May 2024. He will have the opportunity to participate in meetings and workshops with Ember, Ember’s Composer-in-Residence, Robert Paterson, and Ember’s Artistic Director, Deborah Simpkin King.

JONAH RECEIVES HONORABLE MENTION IN 2023-24 YNYC COMPETITION FOR YOUNG COMPOSERS

Jonah’s piece for SATB choir, titled LISTENING, was recently awarded an Honorable Mention in Young New Yorkers’ Chous’ 2023-24 Competition for Young Composers.

JONAH TO PARTICIPATE IN 2023-24 NYYS ROBERT L. POSTER APPRENTICE CONDUCTING PROGRAM AND 2023-24 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ORCHESTRA

As a Robert L. Poster Apprentice Conductor with the New York Youth Symphony, Jonah will have the opportunity to study conducting under Music Director Andrew J. Kim and Assistant Conductor Adrian Rogers. Additionally, Jonah will lead the NYYS Orchestra in readings of new works written by NYYS Composition students and lead a world premiere of a new work at NYYS’ annual Composition Date event in May.

As a cellist in the Columbia University Orchestra, Jonah will perform works by Ruth Crawford-Seeger, Bartok, John Adams, and others under the direction of Music Director Jeffrey Milarsky.

JONAH SELECTED AS FINALIST IN 2023 ASCAP MORTON GOULD AWARDS

Jonah’s piece for Pierrot ensemble and percussion, titled FANTASIA ON “AVINU MALKEINU”, was recognized as a Finalist in ASCAP’s 2023 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards.

JONAH TO PARTICIPATE IN 2023 YELLOW BARN YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM

This summer, Jonah will attend Yellow Barn’s Young Artists Program (YAP) in Putney, VT! Through this program, Jonah will have the opportunity to study with Stephen Coxe, learn from distinguished guest artists such as Eric Nathan and Ana Sokolovic, and write two pieces for outstanding YAP musicians.

JONAH SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN 2023 SALASTINA SOUNDS PROMISING YOUNG COMPOSERS PROGRAM

This year, Jonah will participate in Salastina’s Sounds Promising Young Composers Program! Through this program, he will compose a new work for piano quartet under the mentorship of Derrick Skye, which will be premiered at one of Salastina’s Happy Hour programs.

ROMP SELECTED AS 3RD PRIZE WINNER IN THE 2022-23 METROPOLITAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF NEW YORK EMERGING COMPOSERS COMPETITION

Jonah’s ROMP for orchestra was recently selected as the 3rd Prize Winner in Orchestral Division II (age 18-24) of the 2022-23 Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York Emerging Composers Competition! Daniel Ott served as the special guest panelist for this competition.

ROMP SELECTED AS WINNER IN 2022 NATIONAL YOUNG COMPOSER CHALLENGE

Jonah’s ROMP for orchestra was recently selected as a winner in the 2022 National Young Composers Challenge in the Orchestra division! ROMP will performed and recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (cond. Christopher Wilkins) as part of the NYCC Composium at Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, FL on April 2, 2023.

JONAH SELECTED AS FIRST PLACE WINNER IN WEBSTER UNIVERSITY CMS YOUNG COMPOSERS COMPETITION

Jonah’s LEAPS AND BOUNDS for piano quintet was recently selected as the 1st Place Winner in Level II (age 17-21) of the 2022-23 Young Composer Competition of The Community Music School (CMS) of Webster University! Jonah will have the opportunity to participate in workshops and masterclasses with Nina Shekhar and David Werfelmann, and LEAPS AND BOUNDS will be performed and recorded by members of Chamber Project St. Louis.

JONAH NAMED 2023 NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION HONORABLE MERIT WINNER IN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Recently, Jonah was designated as a 2023 National YoungArts Winner in Classical Music - Composition at the Honorable Mention level (2nd-highest award tier)! Along with a cash honorarium, he will gain access to YoungArts’s comprehensive artistic support program.

ROMP SELECTED AS FINALIST IN 2022 NATIONAL YOUNG COMPOSER CHALLENGE

Jonah’s ROMP for orchestra was recently selected as a finalist in the 2022 National Young Composers Challenge in the Orchestra division! The judges were Daniel Crozier, Steve Goldman, Keith Lay, and Alex Burtzos.

JONAH JOINS 2022-23 NEW YORK YOUTH SYMPHONY (NYYS) ROBERT L. POSTER APPRENTICE CONDUCTING PROGRAM

Through this program, Jonah will have the opportunity to study conducting under the director of NYYS Music Director Michael Repper and NYYS Assistant Conductor Tanya Chanphanitpornkit. Additionally, Jonah will lead the NYYS Orchestra in readings of new works written by NYYS Composition students and possibly lead a world premiere of a new work at NYYS’ annual Composition Date event in May. Exciting!

SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD SELECTED AS THE SECOND PLACE WINNER IN NFMC JUNIOR COMPOSERS CONTEST

After advancing past the State and Regional levels, Jonah’s composition, SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD for alto saxophone and piano, was recently selected as the Second Place winner in the 2022 National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Junior Composers Contest, Class IV!

JONAH GRADUATES FROM INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY; RECEIVED YOUNG ARTIST AWARD

At long last! Jonah has successfully completed and graduated from high school, receiving his diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy on Saturday, May 28 in Kresge Auditorium. Additionally, at Honors Convocation the night prior, Jonah was presented a Young Artist Award from the faculty of Interlochen Arts Academy, which is the top artistic honor the Academy bestows upon students. As one chapter ends, another begins; now it’s off to Tanglewood and Juilliard in the Fall!

JONAH TO ATTEND THE JUILLIARD SCHOOL FOR HIS UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

Big news! Jonah will be attending The Juilliard School in New York City for the next four years, pursuing a Bachelors of Music in Composition degree and studying with Dr. Robert Beaser. Go Penguins!

SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD SELECTED AS WINNER IN NORTHEASTERN REGION NFMC JUNIOR COMPOSERS CONTEST

Jonah’s SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD for alto saxophone and piano was recently selected as winner in the 2022 National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Northeastern Region Junior Composers Contest, Class IV! SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD will now move on to the National competition.

JONAH TO ATTEND 2022 BOSTON UNIVERSITY TANGLEWOOD INSTITUTE

This summer, Jonah will attend the 2022 Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists Composition Program in Lenox, MA! During this program, Jonah will have the opportunity to work closely with Martin Amlin and Justin Casinghino, learn from distinguished guest artists, and write music for the excellent young composers at BUTI.

SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD RECEIVES 2ND PLACE IN NFMC MICHIGAN JUNIOR COMPOSERS CONTEST

Jonah’s SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD for alto saxophone and piano was recently selected as the 2nd Place winner in the 2022 National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Michigan Junior Composers Contest, Class IV! SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD will now move on to the Regional competition.

SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD SELECTED AS 1ST PRIZE WINNER IN 2021-22 CCPA YOUNG COMPOSER COMPETITION

Jonah’s SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD for alto saxophone and piano was recently selected as the 1st Prize Winner in the Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) 2021-22 Young Composer Competition! SOUNDS OF A SIGHTLESS WORLD will be performed at the CCPA Student Composition Recital by CCPA students on April 25, 2022 at 7:30pm CDT, in Ganz Hall in Chicago, IL.

JONAH FEATURED IN RECENT DETROIT JEWISH NEWS ARTICLE

Jonah recently spoke with Suzanne Chessler of the Detroit Jewish News to discuss his new piece commissioned by Pro Musica Detroit for the Akropolis Reed Quintet, the program to support young composers from all over the world that he founded and currently directs (The NowBeat Project), and other aspects of his musical life. To read the article, click here!

HINENI SELECTED AS WINNER IN 2021-22 MTNA NATIONAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION

After being named the Michigan winner several months ago and the East Central Division winner last month, Jonah’s HINENI for cello choir was recently selected as the winner of the 2021-22 Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition in the Senior category! As a National Winner, HINENI will be performed as a part of the Winners Concert during the MTNA Virtual National Conference, March 26–30, 2022.

VIS VIVA SELECTED AS WINNER IN 2021 NATIONAL YOUNG COMPOSER CHALLENGE

Jonah’s VIS VIVA for orchestra was recently selected as a winner in the 2021 National Young Composers Challenge in the Orchestra division! VIS VIVA will be recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (cond. Christopher Wilkins) on April 9, 2022, and then performed at the NYCC Composium on April 10, 2022!

HINENI SELECTED AS WINNER IN 2021-22 MTNA EAST CENTRAL DIVISION COMPOSITION COMPETITION

After being named the Michigan winner several months ago, Jonah’s HINENI for cello choir was recently selected as the winner of the 2021-22 East Central Division Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition in the Senior category! HINENI will go on to represent the East Central Division in the Senior category at the National competition.

JONAH NAMED 2022 NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FOUNDATION MERIT WINNER IN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Recently, Jonah was designated as a 2022 National YoungArts Winner in Classical Music - Composition at the Merit level (3rd-highest award tier)! Along with a cash honorarium, he will gain access to YoungArts’s comprehensive artistic support program.

LAUNCH OF THE NOWBEAT PROJECT’S SPRING 2022 CYCLE

Building off the success of the Spring 2021 Cycle, The NowBeat Project has launched its exciting Spring 2022 Cycle! This free program strives to give young composers (16 and younger) the complete experience of writing a piece and collaborating with other composers and performers throughout the process. This is ESPECIALLY for those young composers who have not had this opportunity in the past. The Spring 2022 Cycle will take place over a longer period of time than the Spring 2021 Cycle, and will include workshops of the participants’ compositions before the final recordings and possibly lectures from guest artists.

To learn more about the The NowBeat Project and to apply, please visit https://thenowbeatproject.org/.

JONAH COMMISSIONED BY PRO MUSICA DETROIT FOR THE AKROPOLIS REED QUINTET

Very exciting news! Jonah has received a commission from Pro Musica Detroit, a concert society based in the Detroit area, to create a new work for the amazing Akropolis Reed Quintet! This new piece will be premiered on July 16, 2022 at 7pm EST at The Player’s Club in downtown Detroit. Tickets can be purchased here. More information to come, but this should be an amazing project!

VIS VIVA SELECTED AS FINALIST IN 2021 NATIONAL YOUNG COMPOSER CHALLENGE

Jonah’s VIS VIVA for orchestra was recently selected as a finalist in the 2021 National Young Composers Challenge in the Orchestra division! The judges were Daniel Crozier, Steve Goldman, Keith Lay, and Alex Burtzos.

HINENI SELECTED AS WINNER IN 2021-22 MTNA MICHIGAN COMPOSITION COMPETITION

Jonah’s HINENI for cello choir was recently selected as the winner of the 2021-22 Michigan Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition in the Senior division! HINENI will go on to represent Michigan in the Senior division at the East Central Region competition.

“the ground develops a taste for it” RECEIVES FIRST PRIZE IN AVALON COMPOSITION COMPETITION

Jonah’s piece for low brass trio (french horn, euphonium and tuba), titled “the ground develops a taste for it”, recently was selected as the First Prize winner in the 2020 Robert Avalon International Competition for Composers, High School Division! The judging panel for this competition was headed by Dr. Anna Rubin and Dr. John Cornelius. “the ground develops a taste for it” will be performed by professional musicians in Houston, TX as a part of the Robert Avalon International Winners Concert in the Music of Today Houston Concert Series. This performance will mostly likely be presented in February 2022 - more information to come!

687 WORLD PREMIERE 7/17/21

One of Jonah’s new compositions, titled 687 and scored for Pierrot ensemble (flute, clarinet in Bb, violin, cello, piano, and percussion), will receive its world premiere on July 17, 2021 at New Music @ AMF as a part of the 2021 Atlantic Music Festival! 687 will be performed by Robert Cart, flute, Simon Bakos, clarinet, Liya Ma, violin, Alan Hlozek, cello, Francesca Hurst, piano, and Alexander Garde, percussion (members of the AMF Contemporary Ensemble). This event will take place at Lorimer Chapel on the campus of Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and will unfortunately not be accessible to the public.

THE NOWBEAT PROJECT’S SPRING 2021 CYCLE VIRTUAL SHOWCASE CONCERT

On Sunday, June 6 at 7pm EDT, The NowBeat Project’s Spring 2021 Cycle Virtual Showcase Concert premiered on YouTube. This concert features some of the completed compositions created by participants in the Spring 2021 Cycle of The NowBeat Project, which is a completely free program ran almost completely by students of the Interlochen Arts Academy. Jonah serves as the Program Director of this project. The Virtual Showcase Concert is still viewable on The NowBeat Project’s YouTube channel, and will remain so for the foreseeable future, and you can click here to check it out!

JONAH RECEIVES NEIL RABAUT MEMORIAL COMPOSITION SCHOLARSHIP

Recently, Jonah was selected to receive Interlochen Arts Academy Composition Department’s Neil Rabaut Memorial Composition Scholarship. This scholarship was created in loving tribute to Neil Rabaut, a composition major at the Academy in the early 1990’s who passed away due to leukemia in 1997. This award is “… in honor and recognition of your excellence in composition, high level of self-motivation and evident love of learning.” Jonah is so honored and thankful to have been given this generous scholarship, and is so excited to make the most of it when he returns to Interlochen for the 2021-22 school year!

PRIMORDIAL VOICES WORLD PREMIERE 5/26/21

Jonah’s new composition for clarinet in Bb, violin, cello, and piano, titled PRIMORDIAL VOICES, will receive its world premiere on May 26, 2021 at the Interlochen Arts Academy Music Composition Recital! PRIMORDIAL VOICES will be performed by Jackie Groves, clarinet, Valerie Xu-Friedman, violin, Andrew Siehr, cello, and Chip Miller, piano. The recital will be streamed live at 7pm on May 26th - click here to tune in!

NEW RECORDING OF IN THE FORESTS OF NEW GUINEA

Oboist Alessandro Cirafici has produced a lovely world premiere recording of Jonah’s IN THE FORESTS OF NEW GUINEA for solo oboe! You can check it out on his YouTube, Soundcloud, or read more about it here. Jonah is so thankful to Alessandro for his generosity and support through the process of creating and recording this piece.

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE NOWBEAT PROJECT!

Over the past few months, Jonah has been working with students and faculty members at Interlochen Arts Academy to plan and launch a program called The NowBeat Project. This program strives to give young composers (16 and younger) the complete experience of writing a piece and collaborating with other composers and performers throughout the process. This is ESPECIALLY for those young composers who have not had this opportunity in the past.

To learn more about the The NowBeat Project and to apply, please visit https://thenowbeatproject.org/.

JONAH SELECTED AS A FINALIST IN PENN STATE 2021 YOUNG COMPOSERS CONTEST

Jonah’s STAGGER for solo marimba was recently selected as a finalist in the Penn State 2021 Young Composers Contest! The contest received 85 submissions from 16 U.S. states and 18 countries.

JONAH TO ATTEND ATLANTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL IN SUMMER 2021

Recently, Jonah applied and was accepted into the 2021 Atlantic Music Festival (AMF) Composition Program (Pre-College Division), which will take place in Waterville, Maine on the campus of Colby College from June-August 2021! As a part of AMF, Jonah will create new works to be read, recorded, and/or performed by groups such as the AMF Contemporary Ensemble and the AMF Orchestra, participate in the Screen Scoring Intensive, take advantage of the Motion Sensor Program and Future Music Lab, and participate in lessons and seminars with the world-renowned artist-faculty. The AMF Composition Program artist-faculty members include Robert Beaser, Martin Bresnick, Sergi Casanelles, Christopher Dobrian, Reiko Fueting, Pierre Jalbert, Mari Kimura, David Ludwig, Frank Ticheli, George Tsontakis, and Zhou Long. This should be an unbelievable experience!

JONAH RECEIVES 1ST PLACE IN NFMC MICHIGAN JUNIOR COMPOSERS CONTEST

Jonah’s STAGGER for solo marimba was recently selected for 1st Place in the 2021 Michigan National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Junior Composers Contest in Class IV! STAGGER will be featured in a virtual winners concert on April 17 (more details forthcoming) and in addition, STAGGER will move on to the Class IV Regional competition.

JONAH TO ATTEND SEWANEE WINTERFEST IN JANUARY 2021

Recently, Jonah applied to and was accepted into the Sewanee WinterFest Composition Intensive, which will take place virtually in early January 2021! As a part of the WinterFest, Jonah will have a chance to work with faculty members Jorge Variego, Anthony R. Green, inti figgis-vizueta, Vincent Oppido, and Chaya Czernowin, along with other young composers. It should be a wonderful opportunity!

JONAH AWARDED HONORABLE MENTION IN MTNA EAST CENTRAL REGION COMPOSITION COMPETITION

Jonah’s STAGGER for solo marimba was recently selected as an Honorable Mention of the 2020-21 East Central Region Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition in the Senior division! The judges included Jennifer Conner, Martha Horst, and Thomas Wells.

“the ground develops a taste for it” WORLD PREMIERE 10/31/20

Jonah’s new composition for french horn, euphonium, and tuba, titled “the ground develops a taste for it”, will receive its world premiere on October 31st, 2020 at the first Interlochen Arts Academy Composers Forum of the 2020-21 season! This piece is wholly inspired by Hafizah Geter’s “Testimony” for Michael Brown, and is quite unique from anything the composer has written in the past. “the ground develops a taste for it” will be performed by three Interlochen Arts Academy students: Andrew Burhans, horn, Julia Reiss, euphonium, and Claudia Shassberger, tuba. The forum will be streamed live at 2pm on October 31st - click here to tune in!

JONAH SELECTED AS WINNER IN MTNA MICHIGAN COMPOSITION COMPETITION

Jonah’s STAGGER for solo marimba was recently selected as the winner of the 2020-21 Michigan Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition in the Senior division! STAGGER will represent Michigan in the Senior division at the Regional competition, and the results will be announced in the middle of December.

JONAH TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY FILM AND NEW MEDIA PROJECT

Exciting news! Over the course of the next month, Jonah will collaborate with a Film and New Media student at Interlochen Arts Academy to produce a score for a short scene! The final goal is to make a recording of the score, combine it with the video, and screen the short scene at some point at the Academy.

NEW RECORDING OF STAGGER

Garrett Arney of arx duo has made an absolutely dazzling world premiere recording of Jonah’s new piece for solo marimba, STAGGER. You can check it out on his Youtube, Soundcloud, or read more about it here. Jonah is so thankful to Mr. Arney and everyone at the Curtis Young Artist Summer Program for an amazing experience!!

JONAH TO ATTEND INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY FOR 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR

This is all very sudden, but Jonah will be attending Interlochen Arts Academy for the 2020-21 school year majoring in composition! Jonah will being studying with Dr. Cynthia Van Maanen for composition, and more details are to follow. As a composition major, Jonah will have the opportunity to have his music presented 4-5 times during the year at composition recitals, and will also take courses in Music Theory, Musicianship, and much, much more. Exciting things are to come!

JONAH ATTENDS CURTIS YOUNG ARTIST SUMMER PROGRAM

From July 11th to August 1st, Jonah attended the first-ever fully online Curtis Young Artist Summer Program (YASP) through the Curtis Institute of Music. As a part the program, Jonah participated in Musical Studies classes with Nick DiBerardino, Choir with Patrick Kreeger, masterclasses with Gabriela Lena Frank and John Mackey, and had the opportunity to study privately with David Serkin Ludwig, Nina C. Young, Wang Jie, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Shinuh Lee, and Daniel Felsenfeld. Additionally, Jonah composed a piece for solo marimba, titled STAGGER, which will be recorded by one of the faculty members at YASP. Jonah is also currently working on two solo works, one for bassoon and one for horn, in close collaboration with YASP student musicians as a part of the Composer/Performer Collaboration at YASP.