ABOUT
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Jonathan completed a Master of Music Degree and Bachelor of Music (Honours) Degree with First Class at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. In 2009, he received an invitation to study in the USA to complete a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree, Master of Arts in Theory Pedagogy Degree, and Master of Music Degree at the Eastman School of Music. His academic mentors include Barry Snyder, Rae de Lisle, Read Gainsford, Douglas Humpherys, Thomas Schumacher, Steven Laitz, Elizabeth Marvin, Katherine Ciesinski, David Temperley, and Matthew Brown.
Jonathan has a passion for collecting rare historical music recordings of the early twentieth century. He is now combining this passion with his academic interest: music theory and music analysis. Jonathan’s current research is on tempo rubato—an in-depth comparative study between nineteenth- and twentieth-century pianists’ interpretations. His thesis, titled “Structural Hearing of Rubato,” is a pedagogical study of tempo fluctuation in music performance, focusing on motives, counterpoint, and harmonization. Jonathan has presented his theoretical work at the MTNA and College Music Society conferences.
Jonathan previously taught Applied Piano, Music Theory, Aural Skills, and Class Piano sequences at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Jones County Junior College. Starting Fall 2017, he joined Lee University as Assistant Professor of Piano to continue his teaching, research, and performance career. Jonathan is the Director of Lee University International Piano Festival and Competition (https://www.leeupianofestival.com/) and he recruits pianists nationally and internationally. Outside his teaching duties, Jonathan serves the music ministry as an organist at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church of Cleveland, Tennessee.
South Korean-New Zealand pianist Jonathan Jung concertizes regularly across the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and Japan. He has been featured as a Guest Artist at the Texas State International Piano Festival and Brevard Summer Music Festival. Jonathan has performed with the Eastman Philharmonic Orchestra, Korean Philharmonic Orchestra of New Zealand, University of Auckland Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Youth Orchestra, and Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. Jonathan received prizes in Kerikeri Piano Competition, Eastman Concerto Competition, Kapiti Coast National Piano Competition, and Christchurch National Piano Concerto Competition. His solo recitals and concerto performances have been recorded and broadcasted by Radio New Zealand, World TV, and WSMC-FM.
As a composer, Jonathan has premiered and performed his own compositions at Carnegie Hall, University of Southern Mississippi, Tulane University, Hatch Recital Hall, and Brevard Music Center. In a review of his recent Carnegie Hall Recital, New York Concert Review wrote, “[Mr. Jung’s] The four pieces are (no title), Illuminate, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. There is a strong French influence in the first three; the first two have striking Debussyian qualities, and the third reminds one of Milhaud. The piano part is virtuosic; there is no “hack-in-the-back” anywhere to be found in any of the selections. The fourth piece, the Agnus Dei, was much more individualistic, with a mournful sound that was truly moving.” Jonathan enjoys writing music for all instruments and he is a devoted chamber musician.
