Jonathan Hepfer

Jonathan Hepfer is an Adjunct Associate Professor at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and a prominent percussionist, conductor, and curator specializing in avant-garde and experimental music. He served on CalArts' faculty from 2015–2018 and currently directs the Los Angeles-based Monday Evening Concerts, presenting works by composers like Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Salvatore Sciarrino. He is founder and artistic director of chamber ensemble ECHOI, and collaborates with groups including red fish blue fish and Ensemble Mosaik. His performances emphasize radical interpretations of contemporary compositions.

Education includes studies at SUNY Buffalo, Oberlin Conservatory, UC San Diego (with DAAD Fellowship support), and Musikhochschule Freiburg under mentors such as Steven Schick and Bernhard Wulff. Notable projects include solo works by Pierre Boulez and Xenakis, and Beckett's Words and Music performance.

Research interests span metaphysical percussion performance, postmodern composition ethics, and bridging visual arts with sound through collaborations with artists like Hamza Walker and Margaret Morgan. His writings appear in Percussive Notes and Kairos, with recent composer interviews published in Autre and Purple magazines.

Awards include the DAAD Fellowship (2011–2013). Academic residencies include Harvard, Huddersfield University, and Leeds. He has documented oral histories of pioneering percussionists like Christoph Caskel and Jan Williams.

Performance highlights include tours across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, with notable venues including the National History Museum in Ulan Bator and the Odessa Philharmonic Theater. His work frequently explores intersections between music, philosophy, and cultural anthropology.