JONATHAN FLOWERS: BIOGRAPHY

Jonathan Flowers is a professional musician and teacher of piano and voice, as well as music theory and composition. His extensive academic and musical background provides students with a well-rounded musical education. Jonathan earned music degrees at Yale University (BA) and the Eastman School of Music (MA). Additional professional studies were completed at the Juilliard School (composition and conducting) and Westminster Choir College (vocal pedagogy, choral pedagogy).  He also served as a graduate fellow and Associate Instructor of music theory at the Indiana University School of Music. Jonathan also holds a mediation teacher’s certificate from the Open Heart Institute.

Before moving to the Philadelphia area in 2013, Jonathan taught vocal music and music theory in New Jersey public schools for ten years. His vocal ensembles at Cherry Hill High School West appeared on network television and won numerous awards at festivals from Boston to South Carolina. Jonathan has also served as a music director for numerous musical theater productions at the middle school and high school levels, as well as several adult community theaters. He has written and taught curricula for music theory and Advanced Placement Music Theory at three high schools. Jonathan has successfully coached numerous students for acceptance to high school honor choirs at the regional, all-state, all-eastern, and all-national levels. A number of former students have continued their music education at leading universities (including Yale, Columbia, University of Maryland, Rutgers, University of the Arts, Rowan, and others).

As a professional musician, Jonathan is a published and recorded composer and arranger. His suite Visions in the Dark, was premiered by the Grammy-Award-winning clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and recorded by Rebecca Rischin on Centaur Records.  The work is available from Dorn Publications.  His choral compositions and arrangements have been performed throughout New Jersey. Jonathan has many years of experience as a piano accompanist for singers, instrumentalists, choral ensembles, and musical theater productions. He has conducted musical theater at leading venues, including three summers at the Plays in the Park in Edison, NJ, which is the largest government-sponsored musical theater festival in the state. From 2019-2023, he served as Music Director of A Cappella Pops, an auditioned adult vocal ensemble that performs throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. In 2023, Jonathan was appointed choir director at Congregation Beth Shalom in Wilmington, Delaware.

Jonathan is a certified K-12 music teacher in PA, NJ, and CT.  In keeping with his commitment to continuous professional development, he is an active member of MTNA (Music Teachers’ National Association), a board member of PMTA (Pennsylvania Music Teachers’ Association), and President of the Main Line Music Teachers’ Association. For PMTA, Jonathan directs the Dorothy Sutton Performance Festival for the state of PA.

Jonathan regularly presents workshops for other music teachers at local, state, and national conferences. Recent topics have included Mindfulness in the Music Studio, Technology for Online Teaching, and Concept Preparation for Beginning and Intermediate Students. For his professional activities, Jonathan was awarded the 2022 Distinguished Service Award from PMTA. In 2023, on behalf of MLMTA, Jonathan accepted MTNA’s national award for Local Association of the Year. For more information about Jonathan Flowers, see his Mission Statement.