Jonathan Villegas
New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra Training Ensemble Wind Leader
Jonathan Villegas believes in the value of educating future generations of musicians and leaders, by creating music that can inspire and connect with local communities through the engagement of this art form and its intersectional potential. As a conductor, cellist, actor, clinician, and educator, their mission is to continue transforming the world through all art forms by using our musical gifts to help cultivate lasting relationships that will develop opportunities to continue uplifting historically underserved communities.
Jonathan currently serves as the Assistant Artistic Director at D.C.’s Different Drummers in Washington, D.C, Wind Leader of the Training Ensemble with the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra, Assistant Conductor to the Peabody Preparatory Wind Band, as well as the Wind Ensembles Director at Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids program. Additionally, Jonathan serves as the new conductor for the Boston-based contemporary Pierrot ensemble, “Der Gestanke”. After having spent the last few years performing in Portland, Oregon as the Assistant Conductor to the Portland State University Orchestra, Bands & Opera, Jonathan now resides in Baltimore, Maryland, where he is pursuing a master's in music in Wind Conducting at the Peabody Conservatory.
From the desire to be a well-informed and multi-faceted symphonic conductor, Jonathan hopes to use their expertise as a cellist, background as a teacher and clinician to youth string orchestras and concert bands, recent experience conducting multiple types of collegiate ensembles, along with his education at Peabody to expand their skillsets with the art of wind literature to enhance their conducting. Jonathan aims to share their diverse and dynamic background as a performer and educator, to continue to connect all aspects of music with one another, while being an ambitious and positive leader as a proud Latinx and queer performer.
Additionally, you can find more information about Jonathan such as media samples and contact information on their website at jvconductor.com, or through email at info@jvconductor.com.