Jon Kohne

Jon is a native of Cincinnati, OH, and has been performing music for over 20 years. He has been a professional jazz pianist/composer since 2004. He has a Master’s of Music degree in Jazz Performance/Pedagogy from University of Colorado Boulder, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from Northern Kentucky University. Throughout his studies of jazz and classical music he has worked with greats such as Jeff Coffin, Jamey Aebersold, Brad Goode, Phillip Burkhead, Jim Connerley, John Gunther, Andy LaVerne, and Art Lande. He has shared the stage with greats like Jeff Coffin, Nnenna Freelon, Jamey Aebersold, Fred Wesley, Nick Smart, William Brian Hogg, John Zappa, and many more.

Jon has directed his own professional jazz piano trio for 6 years, beginning in the Greater Cincinnati Area. The trio has produced three albums, which he composed, arranged, recorded, and produced. Upon receiving a Graduate Teaching Assistantship and full scholarship to CU-Boulder for his graduate studies, Jon was fortunate to form a new trio in the greater Denver area. Jon also has several monthly solo performances at local venues in the Boulder area. He performs weekly every Wednesday night at Longmont’s own LaVitaBella Coffee with esteemed jazz performers. He currently holds the position of University Lecturer of Jazz Piano at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Continuing Education Program.

Jon has been the director of small Jazz Combos and large Jazz Ensembles at the university level. He has also lectured on solo piano and guitar, Jazz Theory and Composition, Jazz Arranging, Jazz Improvisation, and Music History. His skills encompass many genres and styles, as he trained in both Classical & Jazz methods, but also other nontraditional methods.
Jon is the Owner/Founder of Old Town Music Studio in Longmont, Colorado. Old Town Music Studio has been a vision of Jon’s for many years. He wanted to bring all of the elements of music performance and composition into a fun and energetic learning environment where students want to learn to listen and perform music at a very high level. His goal is to offer a place where any individual can come to learn to be a well-rounded musician, and offer a studio where creativity, individualism, and improvisation are a primary focus on performance/ arranging. The studio is also a professional recording studio, and is currently recording local Colorado artists in-house.