Jonathan Kruger
Professor
Jonathan Kruger
Professor
Education
BA, Carthage College; MM, DMA, Eastman School of Music
Bio
Dr. Jonathan Kruger is a native of Kenosha, Wisconsin where, in 1978, he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and Performance at Carthage College. While living in Kenosha he studied trumpet with Luther Didrickson at Northwestern University. In 1981 Dr. Kruger began his studies at the Eastman School of Music where he completed both his Masters and Doctorate of Musical Arts. While at Eastman he performed in the Eastman Heidelberg Orchestra as well as Lead trumpet with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble. In the spring of 1983 he was the winner of the Phi Mu Alpha solo wind competition and the subsequent soloist with the Eastman Wind Ensemble during their spring tour.
Following his studies at Eastman Dr. Kruger performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra through the summer of 1988. In 1985 he accepted the position of Instrumental music teacher at the School of the Arts in Rochester, N.Y and served there as concert band and jazz ensemble director until the spring of 2000. Currently Dr. Kruger holds a position as Professor and Director of Performing Arts in the department of Performing Arts and Visual Culture at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has also served as trumpet instructor at the Hochstein School of Music from 1985 through 1990 and served as an adjunct faculty member at SUNY Geneseo as trumpet instructor and Director of their Jazz Ensemble program from 1990 - 2013.
In addition to his duties at RIT, Dr. Kruger is co-leader of the professional jazz ensemble, The New Energy Jazz Orchestra and musical director of The Prime Time Brass. During his performance career, Dr. Kruger has performed with Johnny Mathis, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Spinners, Julie Andrews, Cleo Laine, Barry Manilow, as well as many others.