“Jonathan Mamora is what one might call a “big” pianist, in the best sense of the term… [his] playing itself is larger than life. Perhaps it is unsurprising for a winner of several big competitions, but he possesses a technique so solid that it seemed at times that he couldn’t play a wrong note if he tried. On top of that solidity, he dazzles, with lightning-fast fingers and an encyclopedic array of dynamics and articulations.” -New York Concert Review
Pianist and educator Jonathan Mamora strives to uplift and positively influence others using music as a means for service.
An Indonesian-American and a native of Southern California, Jonathan has served as a church pianist and organist—the result of having been enrolled in piano lessons by his parents for the purpose of becoming a church musician. Jonathan aims to use music as service not only in the church, but also in the community through homes, schools, community centers, and the concert hall.
Acclaimed for his “poetic” and “most assured pianism,” “natural, songful lyricism,” and “rippl[ing] through virtuosic passagework” (The Dallas Morning News), Jonathan has performed throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, and he is a prize-winner of numerous piano competitions, most recently winning first prize in the Scottish International Piano Competition, Concurs Internacional de Música Maria Canals Barcelona, Hilton Head International Piano Competition, Olga Kern International Piano Competition, AntwerPiano International Competition, Dallas International Piano Competition, Palm Springs International Piano Competition (formerly known as the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition), American Virtuoso International Music Competition, “Sviatoslav Richter” International Piano Competition, Chautauqua Piano Competition, and Eastman Piano Concerto Competition, as well as winning top prizes in the Cleveland International Piano Competition, "Classic Piano" International Competition, and the Wideman International Piano Competition.
He made his concerto debut at the age of 13 with the La Sierra University Orchestra performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, and he has since performed with such orchestras as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, New Mexico Philharmonic, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Simfònica Sant Cugat, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, and Dallas Chamber Symphony, among others. He has worked with such pianists as Jerome Lowenthal, Robert Levin, Alexander Kobrin, Olga Kern, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Sara Davis Buechner, and Jon Nakamatsu. Engagements in the 2024-2025 season include the L’Auditori Festival Emergents in Barcelona, Bachauer Festival in Salt Lake City, Chautauqua Institution in New York, performances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Orquesta Ciudad de Granada, and Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, and the Hilton Head, Weatherford College, and Van Cliburn competitions.
Mamora has served as a church musician much of his life, most recently serving as Music Director and Organist at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Clifton Springs, NY. He often performs as a collaborative pianist for vocalists, instrumentalists, ensembles, and choirs, and has received the Eastman Excellence in Accompanying Award. In addition to the piano and organ, he has also performed as a percussionist, vocalist, historical keyboardist (harpsichord, fortepiano), and conductor. Mamora values education as an important tool in music making. He has previously taught piano and music theory/ear training for various institutions, including the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School, and has conducted master classes and lessons in the United States, the Caribbean, South America, and Europe. He is currently serving as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Keyboard and Theory Studies at Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas.
Jonathan is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music, studying with Douglas Humpherys, whom he served as studio assistant. He received his Bachelor of Music from La Sierra University and his Master of Music from The Juilliard School. Previous teachers include Elvin Rodríguez and Hung-Kuan Chen.