Saxophone Soloist

Winner of numerous concerto competitions in the U.S., South America, and Europe, Jonathan Snowden is a highly gifted saxophonist, who—before turning his attention to composition and conducting—had initially been accepted to the UMKC Conservatory on a full-tuition scholarship for Saxophone Performance.

Formerly a pianist from age 7 and violinist from age 10, Snowden's precocious abilities as a performer quickly earned him the seat of concertmaster of the KC Youth Symphony by age 12. That same year, he made his conducting debut with his school orchestra and the KC Youth Symphony. At age 13, he inherited a saxophone and immediately seized the opportunity to learn a wind instrument. He taught himself the classical saxophone, all while continuing intensive studies of the violin. As a fully self-taught saxophonist, he won 1st Prize at age 17 in his first concerto competition. He subsequently received multiple full-scholarship invitations.

Snowden's primary teachers were Zach Shemon (Grammy winner; PRISM Quartet) and Tim Timmons. He has received additional mentorship from Joe Lullaff.

His diverse musical background as a concertmaster, composer, and conductor give him an extremely unique position when performing as saxophone soloist. He has been praised for his "expressive, flexible tone...." and "unparalleled musicianship," and he is known for bringing lively performances to the concert stage, using deep knowledge of scores to connect with orchestras and make music that is exciting and accessible to audiences.

Jonathan Snowden performs on Selmer (Paris) instruments. He can be heard playing a gold-plated Jubilee Series III and a 1954 Mark VI.