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 ground breaking musical endeavors. A passionate and dedicated teacher who is gaining international recognition, Jonathan’s students have won countless major national and international competitions and have performed all across the globe. His students have also been featured in several radio and television stations throughout the United States and abroad.
Prior to relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2005, 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, he taught undergraduate cello courses at the university 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 was appointed as a faculty member at the University of California at Berkeley. Jonathan’s teaching is continuously sought out by students, not only from all across the Bay Area, but from Southern California, neighboring West Coast states, the Midwest, and Asia. During the summer months, Jonathan teaches at the Meadowmount School of Music in New York.
Jonathan’s extensive solo and chamber experience encompasses several tours throughout the Far East, Europe, and across his native United States. At age 20, Jonathan took a position as substitute member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra cello section. He has also performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra. Jonathan has collaborated with esteemed artists – Daniel Barenboim, Lorin Maazel, Christoph Eschenbach, Pinchas Zukerman, Lynn Harrell, Leon Fleischer, Carter Brey, Michael Tree, Karina Canellakis, and Noah Bendix-Balgley to name a few. Jonathan has recorded 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 resides in Cupertino, California with his wife and three children.