Jonathan has played Principal Horn for over 35 years. He has extensive experience internationally in symphonic music, chamber music, and as a soloist.
Principal Horn – Gulbenkian Orchestra
At the age of 24 Jonathan accepted the position of principal horn in the Gulbenkian Orchestra, Lisbon, Portugal.
As a soloist with the orchestra, he performed the Mozart Horn Concertos No. 2, 3 and 4, Strauss Horn Concertos No. 1 and 2, Britten’s Serenade for tenor, horn & strings, Schumann Konzertstück for 4 horns, among others. Jonathan had the honour of performing the Penderecki Horn Concerto, under the direction of the composer himself.
He also enjoyed playing with leading soloists such as Daniel Barenboim, Nigel Kennedy, Arabella Steinbacher, Radu Lupu, Truls Mork and the Swingle Singers.
The orchestra toured frequently, and Jonathan travelled with them to Japan, India, China, Thailand, USA, Brazil, Argentina, Armenia and across Europe. He also had the opportunity to play with other orchestras and music ensembles in many of those countries, such as Montepulciano and Spoleto Festivals – Italy, Oficina de Música de Curitiba – Brazil, Recital Soloist – Morocco, Spain and France, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe – Portugal.
Under the direction of conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Esa Pekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Lawrence Foster, Simone Young, Thomas Helgenbrock, John Nelson and Richard Hickox, Jonathan established himself with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, and played and recorded with them for 31 years. During this time he was also a member of the Amadeus Wind Quintet, Hot Brass of Portugal, and Tejo Horns.
From 2019 to 2023, Jonathan lived in Ireland and freelanced with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Ulster Orchestra and smaller musical ensembles.
At the end of 2023, Jonathan moved back to Portugal and settled in the Óbidos area.