Jonathan Kruger(III)
- Music Department
Dr. Jonathan Kruger is a native of Kenosha, Wisconsin where he earned his Bachelors Degree in Music Education and Performance at Carthage College in 1978. 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 being lead trumpet with the Eastman Jazz Ensemble. In the spring of 1983, Dr. Kruger 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 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.
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 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.