Jonathan Young

"While Jon's technical skills and sight-reading ability are impressive, it is his ability to make the piano “sing” that creates the ultimate duet of piano and voice.” - Allegro Choirs of Kansas City. 

Jonathan Young is an active pianist, composer, teacher, conductor, and accompanist. He recently earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance at the University of Kansas, studying with Dr. Steven Spooner. Career highlights include working as Coach/Accompanist at Opera in the Ozarks in Summer 2018, attending the Bel Canto Summer Academy in Germany as a Collaborative Pianist in 2016, and performing solo piano at Haydn’s Esterhazy Palace in Austria through the Classical Music Festival in 2013. In concerto performances, Young has performed Mozart's Piano Concerto in C Minor with the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra in 2009 and Mozart's Piano Concerto in D Minor with the Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony Orchestra in 2007. He is an avid performer of chamber music, vocal, instrumental, and choral music, and has released two solo piano compositions on iTunes and Amazon Music.

Young received his Master’s Degree from UMKC with Dr. Robert Weirich and Bachelor’s Degree from Wheaton College with Dr. Karin Redekopp Edwards. He recently served as Vice President of KU’s Collegiate Chapter of MTNA, and reviews books for the American Music Teacher magazine.

I believe piano lessons are crucial for developing critical thinking skills. Discipline, patience, determination and perseverance are some of the many other skills learned through piano training. The goal I have for my piano students is not to be merely good students, but good musicians. Successful piano students must work daily over extended periods of time in order to learn complex music. I believe this helps students accomplish excellence, and understand the concept of sustained effort and hard work.