Personnel Bio

MU1 Jonathan Lopez

Musician 1st Class Jonathan Lopez, clarinet, is an American clarinetist in the United States Coast Guard Band, which represents the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security. López largely credits Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra programs for his early career development. Having received mentorship through the programs from Benjamin Lulich, Ricardo Morales, and Stephen Williamson, he went on to be featured on NPR’s From the Top, and awarded their prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. As a soloist, López has performed concertos with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, the El Paso Wind Symphony, the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir, and the Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble. A chamber musician and entrepreneur, he co-founded and managed the award-winning Genesis Trio, which performs internationally and made its Carnegie Hall Debut in 2019.

His orchestral endeavors have led him to festival appearances at the Aspen Music Festival and School, Music in the Mountains, and the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Other notable performances include Yale Opera productions under Daniela Candillari and Alejandro Roca as well as concerts with the New World Symphony.

MU1 López holds degrees from the University of British Columbia and Yale University, where he studied under Jose Franch-Ballester and David Shifrin. He also credits his childhood mentors Alma Beach and Lavinia Richards for much of his success.