Originally a violinist, Jonathan Zwi found a passion for the classical guitar at Indiana University, where he completed a Bachelor’s of Music under the direction of José Antonio López, Julio Ribeiro and Ernesto Bitetti.

 

In addition to his degree in Music, Jonathan also received degrees in Philosophy and in Cognitive Science.  He was the recipient of several research fellowships at Indiana and Yale University and has presented his work at research conferences throughout the United States. During his undergraduate, he won a grant from the NIH to conduct research on the structural connectivity of the cerebral cortex with Olaf Sporns, with whom he co-authored a paper subsequently published in Neuroinformatics.

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Following his undergraduate, Jonathan moved to Brazil to focus on the guitar and re-identify with his heritage.  He won first place in the inaugural Eustáquio Grilo International Guitar Competition and toured Brazil, performing concerts in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.  

 

While in Brazil, Jonathan was a student at the School of Music at the Federal University of Bahia under the guidance of Mario Ulloa.  He was also enrolled in the university’s School of Fine Arts, specializing in printmaking, silkscreen and photography.  His work could be found in exhibits and galleries throughout Salvador, Bahia and he has continued to exhibit his work upon returning to the United States.

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At the Peabody Conservatory, Jonathan was the graduate assistant in guitar to Manuel Barrueco and in Musicology to Dr. Elizabeth Tolbert.  He was the recipient of the Richard Franko Goldman Prize for Performance as well as the Presser Foundation Award.  He completed his master’s degree under the guidance of Ray Chester and is currently a doctoral candidate under Manuel Barrueco.

 

As both a visual artist and musician, Jonathan’s primary interest lies in exploring the dynamics of aesthetic experience and the perceptual mechanisms through which we construct concepts of meaning and beauty in art.

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Jonathan is on the faculty at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.