‘Jonathan Blair is one of the most gifted young composers I have encountered in many years of university teaching. His works are marked by lively intellectual curiosity, mature musical insight and remarkable creative abilities… a bright future in the field of contemporary music.’

Hendrik Hofmeyr, critically acclaimed composer, head of music theory and composition at the South African College of Music, University of Cape Town.

‘Working with Jonathan for the past two years (on various projects) has been an absolute pleasure, and as a soprano who has been honoured enough to work with many living composers, he is absolutely one of my favourites so far. His historical approach and attention to detail in terms of the narrative is sound, and the collaborative process is always thorough with loads of room for input. This respect for the performer and instrument goes a long way - this is also seen in the amounts of research he does with regards to the technical aspects of writing for voice - always finding clever and creative solutions for pushing the voice to its limits safely. I find his music complex and beautiful at the same time, and he has a very special knack for choosing (and writing) text.’

Magdalene Minnaar; Artistic Director of Cape Town Opera,Operatic Soprano and Director of Biblioteek Productions.
https://www.magdaleneminnaar.com

‘I met Jonathan Blair by working on an art song comissioned for soprano Magdalene Minnaar – I played the piano part of this composition, Pesach. It was a revelation to perform this music, as it underlined an extraordinary balance between traditional approaches and a forward-looking expressiveness that indicated to me that I am encountering a composer of intellectual stature and remarkable innovation. Upon further exploration of Blair’s music, I discovered the rich plethora of diverse cultural and literary influences in his work. His expertise in the field of music theory allows him to adeptly engage with any genre or instrumental combination and this also brings a freshness yet academic rigour to his creativity. I look forward to continuing collaborations with this outstanding musician and to following his exciting compositional trajectory.’

Ben Schoeman, (award-winning concert pianist, Steinway artist and lecturer in music)

‘As a vocalist, one aspect I really value about working on the Gacela with Jonathan was that his sense of extension of techniques and novel expressions was on the surrounding surfaces in which the voice was crowned. All coloristic changes were the result of blending with instruments or electronic manipulation of the voice, leaving the vocalist to do what she is trained to do to; retain beauty of tone, linear shape and dramatic inflection.’

-Vasti Knoesen. Mezzo-Soprano.

Blair is one of those rare composers whose ideas transcend traditional boundaries while still wittingly acknowledging them. His predilection for workshopping with musicians as part of the compositional process can be immediately grasped in the score. Both idiomatic in the greatest sense of the term and explorative in the efficacy of new timbres on the instrument, his obsession with sound as creative impulse for composition is reminiscent and in congruency with Stockhausen’s approach.

-Carla Ferreira, clarinetist, contemporary music enthusiast and author of The Contemporary Clarinet.

‘I have had the privilege of working with Jonathan in two capacities: firstly, as a musical director of his work and secondly as a creative collaborator. Jon is a remarkable composer; he has a thorough and complete understanding of his craft but without losing sight of those elusive attributes such as ‘beauty’… and Jonny’s music is singularly beautiful. As a composer in the 21st century he has incorporated multifarious techniques, old and new into a single clear musical expression that is uniquely individual. Jon is a dream collaborator, intelligent, generous, responsive and humble but he also knows when he needs to stand his ground and I have never regretted listening to his advice as to what direction we should take with a project.’

-Jaco Griessel,
Musical director and theatre-maker.

‘The musical score is the linking point between the composer and the performer. As a conductor, I frequently need to make spontaneous musical decisions for my performers when the composer's intentions aren't clear. One of the pleasures of working with Jonathan is that his scores are meticulously prepared for the conductor. This means that, instead of spending time clarifying details or addressing ambiguities in the score, precious rehearsal efforts can be focused on bringing the composer’s musical vision directly to life.’

- John Woodland, Founder and Conductor of Vox Cape Town.