Dr. Jonathan Bruce Brown is a professor of music and chair of the music department at Spring Arbor University near Jackson, Michigan. He is a very active composer and serves as composer in residence with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. He is also the host of the JSO's pre-concert lecture series known as "Backstage Glimpses". 

     His modern yet lyrical compositional style has made him a frequent recipient of commissions for new works. In recent years he has completed commissions for the Brass Band of Battle Creek, District VIII of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, and the Jackson Chorale. He has also been commissioned to write festive works for the 15th anniversary celebration of the South Carolina School for the Arts, the opening of the new music building at Central Michigan University, and the dedication of a new library at Spring Arbor University. Performances of his works have taken him across the country.

     His composition “Legacy of Vision: Martin Luther King” has been performed in many venues, including Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. In 1992 it was included in a nationally-syndicated radio program produced by the University of Illinois. His “Symphony For String Orchestra” has been recorded by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and is available on compact disc through MMC Music in Boston, MA. After completing the Bachelor of Arts Degree from Central Michigan University, Dr. Brown studied composition with Neil McKay at the University of Hawaii, where his thesis composition, “Three Pieces for Orchestra,” was performed by the Honolulu Symphony.

     He completed his doctoral studies under Martin Mailman at The University of North Texas (then called North Texas State University), where his works won top honors in competitions in New York, Texas and California. At SAU he was honored to receive the 1991 Sears-Roebuck Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership, and Faculty Merit Awards in 1988 and 1995. His compositions have also been recognized by annual awards from the American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) since 1992.