Dr. Jonathan Whitaker
Dr. Jonathan Whitaker joined the faculty of the University of Alabama in the fall of 2009. Dr. Whitaker previously taught at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas as Assistant Professor of Trombone and Low Brass. While at HSU, the Low Brass Studio grew to record numbers under Whitaker’s leadership. Whitaker’s studio hosted numerous guest artists, performed at regional and national conferences and successfully placed graduates in regional jobs and some of the top graduate schools in the country.
Dr. Whitaker is an active performer as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. He is a founding member of the Stentorian Consort along with three other prominent professional trombone players. Stentorian Consort released their first CD “Myths and Legends” in August of 2007 on Albany Records. “Myths and Legends” contains all premiere recordings of original compositions for trombone quartet by composers Eric Ewazen, Fisher Tull, Charles Wourinen, Leslie Bassett, John LaMontaine and others. The consort recently performed and recorded with Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombonist of the New York Philharmonic and Peter Ellefson, Professor of Trombone at Indiana University and Northwestern University and will release our second recording in 2009. Whitaker can also be heard on Dee Stewart’s CD entitled D+ (Dee Plus) performing with the Indiana University Trombone Faculty. Whitaker has performed regularly with the Harrisburg (PA), Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Shreveport (LA) and the South Arkansas Symphony. He has also held positions and performed with the Duluth-Superior Symphony (MN), Owensboro Symphony (KY), Evansville Philharmonic (IN), Richmond Symphony (IN), Jackson Symphony (TN) and the Paducah Symphony (KY). He has appeared as a soloist with the Indiana University Wind Ensemble, the Indiana University Symphonic Band, the Indiana University Concert Band, the Augustana College Symphonic Band, the Purdue University Symphony Orchestra and the Henderson State University Wind Ensemble. He also performed the American premier of Johan de Meij’s T-Bone Concerto with the Murray State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble.
In 2005, Dr. Whitaker was selected as one of sixteen participants for the Alessi Seminar and was a featured soloist twice that year. Since 2005, Whitaker has served as the chief administrator for the Alessi Seminar. The 2007 Seminar experienced record attendance and continues to grow each year. Whitaker was also the key organizer of the commissioning project for Eric Ewazen’s Visions of Light with the world premier performed at the 2003 Midwest Clinic by the New York Philharmonic’s Principal Trombonist Joseph Alessi and the IU Wind Ensemble.
Dr. Whitaker holds degrees in trombone performance from Murray State University and the University of Minnesota and the Doctor of Music degree in Brass Pedagogy at Indiana University where he served as Associate Instructor of Trombone from 2001-2004. He has taught in the Caldwell County School District and is in demand as a clinician and guest conductor for high school music festivals throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. Dr. Whitaker’s primary teachers include Ray Conklin, Tom Ashworth, M. Dee Stewart, Peter Ellefson and Joseph Alessi with additional studies with Arnold Jacobs, Edward Kleinhammer, Michael Mulcahy, Charlie Vernon and Douglas Wright.
Jonathan Whitaker is an artist/clinician for Conn-Selmer, Inc. and plays Greg Black Mouthpieces exclusively.