Jonathan Gunn

Biography

Clarinetist Jonathan F. Gunn is a versatile artist with a varied career as educator, soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. Appointed by Maestro Paavo Järvi to the position of Associate Principal and E-flat Clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 2004, Mr. Gunn then served as Principal Clarinet from 2011 to 2016. Prior to joining the Cincinnati Symphony, he was the Principal Clarinetist of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Mr. Gunn has also performed as Guest Principal Clarinet with the Chicago, Houston, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras and Houston Grand Opera among others.

Mr. Gunn has participated in numerous music festivals including Arizona MusicFest, International Chamber orchestra of Puerto Rico, Bard, and St. Bart’s and is the Principal Clarinetist of the Sunflower and Buzzard’s Bay Music Festivals. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra, the Wheeling Symphony and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic as well as Sunflower and Buzzard’s Bay. Mr. Gunn was featured at the International Clarinet Association’s ClarinetFest performing the Copland Clarinet Concerto and has performed internationally as soloist and recitalist including recent performances in China, Thailand, Taiwan and Canada.

Committed to the education of the next generation of clarinetists, Mr. Gunn gives masterclasses and recitals around the world, and has served on the faculties of the Buffet-Crampon Summer Academy, the Aria International Summer Academy, the National Youth Orchestra of the USA, Orford Musique, and Round Top Music Festival. Currently, Mr. Gunn serves as Professor of Clarinet at the Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining the faculty at The University of Texas, he served on the faculty at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Mr. Gunn can be heard on countless Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops recordings on the Telarc and Fanfare Cincinnati labels. He can also be heard on Ablaze records, his debut solo album of French clarinet repertoire with pianist, Anton Nel on Centaur Records and, most recently, the Corigliano Clarinet Concerto with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble on the Reference Recordings label.

Born in Sheffield, England, Mr. Gunn started his musical career playing violin and piano and began studying the clarinet after moving to the United States at age eleven. He received a Bachelor of Music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and a Master of Music from the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University. Jonathan is married to Jennifer Gunn, who plays piccolo and flute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Gunn is a Vandoren Artist and a Buffet USA Performing Artist.

LANGUAGES:

English