Courses Taught
Business for the Media Composer
Education
BM, Howard University
MM, New York University
Awards and Distinctions
Emerging Black Composers Project (2021)
Donna Milanovich Composer in Residence Program (2021)
Southern States Indie Film Fest Best Original Soundtrack (2019)
What is your hometown?
Southampton, New Jersey.
What is your favorite recording? Why?
Late Registration by Kanye West. The combination of rapping, sampling, and instruments primarily utilized in classical music was novel to me. It's what I needed to hear at that time in my life.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Football, jumping rope, and surfing.
Who were your major teachers?
Anthony Randolph and Justin Dello Joio.
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
Listening to "Across the Stars" from Star Wars: Episode II.
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
I'd be an architect.
What is your daily practice routine?
Start composing between 7 and 8 a.m. until late morning.
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Henri Dutilleux, Samuel Barber, Maurice Ravel.
Media
Over the last decade, composer Jonathan Bingham has been recognized for his use of electronic and acoustic instrumentation. He’s composed music for film, advertisements, and has received commissions to write for numerous ensembles. Jonathan received the Vincent C. LaGuardia Award in composition leading to a residency with the Arapahoe Philharmonic in 2016. Over the following several years, he premiered five orchestral works and obtained a subsequent residency with the Boulder Symphony.
Through his collaborations with filmmakers, dancers, and painters, he has had work premiered internationally in concert halls, cinemas, galleries, and playhouses. Recent commissions include SOLOS for the Carpe Diem String Quartet and DEIFIED for the National Brass Ensemble. In addition, he’s created original scores for over a dozen film productions which have premiered in festivals such as the New York Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, and BFI London Film Festival among others. Recently, he has been invited to lecture on concert and film music at Fayetteville State University, the School of Visual Arts, and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
Holding degrees in composition from Howard University and New York University, Jonathan studied with Anthony Randolph and Justin Dello Joio respectively. His most recent project is Cool Story—a record label researching scores and producing recordings of lesser known music.
Technology and Applied Composition
Professional Development