Chris Jonas
composition + performance + intermedia
Since moving to Santa Fe from New York City in 2001, Jonas has worked primarily as a composer and video artist, receiving commissions for composition and large scale intermedia projects in Santa Fe, the US and Europe as well as numerous pieces for new music ensembles, soundtracks, new circus, documentaries, and installations. Beginning in 2001, his commissions have consistently grown in scope and, needing a home for these projects, Jonas and his partner Molly Sturges built the non-profit, Littleglobe in 2005. With Littleglobe’s help, they’ve created works for large-scale installations, theatre pieces, and multi-day festivals, as well as works partnering with communities in rural New Mexico and around the world.

Among Jonas’ recent commissions are pieces for the Santa Fe Opera, “IN SITU” performances for SITE Santa Fe biennials and live soundtracks for silent films at the Lensic Performing Arts Center and Taos Film Festival. He has written pieces for the Library of Congress Film Program, the New Mexico Film Office, and the Mexican Museum of Anthropology (Mexico City), as well as works in collaborative community for the European Union Festival of Culture (Cork, Ireland). Jonas is now at work on a number of new projects including a multiple year intermedia and music piece GARDEN with the Del Sol String Quartet (San Francisco), concerts and recordings with his Santa Fe/NYC ensembles Rrake and Sun Spits Cherries and the next iteration of the Jonas/Sturges IN SITU site-based compositions.

New York City 1991-2001
While based in NYC, the 1990s saw Jonas working internationally. He recorded 25 albums and toured cities worldwide as a performer, guest conductor, and composer with jazz and experimental music ensembles led by Cecil Taylor, Butch Morris, William Parker, the Brooklyn Sax Quartet and his own ensemble, Sun Spits Cherries. From 1996-1999, Jonas worked as an assistant to MacArthur fellow Anthony Braxton, co-producing, performing and conducting in many of Braxton’s “creative orchestra” projects.

US Artist Fellow 2008/09
Along with partner, Molly Sturges, Jonas is 2008/09 recipient of the United States Artists Fellowship Award in music, a distinction given to a small group of US-based artists a year. This award was given to Jonas/Sturges for their work involving collaborative process, context, intermedia, interdisciplinary performance, immersion and community engagement. www.unitedstatesartists.org

New Visions Award 2007
In 2007, Jonas received the New Visions/New Mexico Contract Award for the video-in-performance element of the Santa Fe Opera commission, “Memorylines” (projected video, composition, conductor).