Jonah Cristall-Clarke

Jonah Cristall-Clarke is a Canadian jazz pianist and arranger. His style is marked by innovative harmonies, but always conveys a personal warmth and congeniality. Cristall-Clarke is a master of understatement, and his work is noteworthy for its maturity and philosophical insight.

Education

Jonah Cristall-Clarke began piano lessons in 1990 in Peterborough, Ontario. His principal teachers and mentors were Rob Phillips and Fredrick Pritchard. In 1999 he formed a jazz trio. Winning multiple awards and scholarships, he continued his studies at University of Toronto, taking a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance. There he was awarded the Margaret E. Read Jazz Scholarship, the Music Alumni Award, and the Don Wright Scholarship for arranging. He studied privately with jazz pianists David Restivo, Gary Williamson and David Braid, and participated in Terry Promane's Jazz Arranging Class, which was pivotal in Cristall-Clarke's career. Cristall-Clarke continues to study Piano and Musicology with Fredrick Pritchard. [http://pianostudioone.ca/page4.html]

Performance

Cristall-Clarke has performed at Roy Thompson Hall, and on multiple occasions at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival, The Toronto Jazz Festival, the Markham Jazz Festival, the Barrie Jazz Festival, the Lakefield Jazz Festival, and the Ontario Science Centre, in a concert recorded for Jazz FM CJRT-FM (Toronto Radio).

As well as performing regularly with jazz combos, Cristall-Clarke leads a nine-piece band, Nonet, which showcases his jazz arrangements and compositions. Nonet has recently appeared at the Distillery Jazz Festival, the Rex and the Dominion on Queen.

Teaching career

After graduating from University of Toronto, Cristall-Clarke's teaching career was immediately launched with his appointment as a piano pedagogue at Humber College. The influence of his passion for all musical genres, as well as his philosophical approach to music, is reflected in the results of his work as an educator.

Reviews

"Cristall-Clarke was...impressive for his modernity of musical thinking. We'll be hearing more from a few in particular, specifically...Cristall-Clarke." (John Kelman, [http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/contrib.php?id=398] , Ottawa International Jazz Festival, July 2, 2005)

"As a jazz pianist and arranger, Jonah Cristall-Clarke exhibits impressive amounts of maturity. He has a gift for discerning quality music as he chooses his repertoire from 90 years of popular song, to express his quiet and competent voice." (David Braid)

Partial Discography

"JCC Nonet": 2007, "supported by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage".