Jonathon Grasse, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
LCH A324 | 310.243.2382 | jgrasse@csudh.edu
Office Hours: MW 1-2:00 p.m. and Tue. 1-3:00 p.m.

Jonathon Grasse received his B.M. in composition and theory from California State University, Sacramento. He earned his M.A. in composition from UC Santa Cruz with ethnomusicology teaching assistantships in West Javanese gamelan (percussion orchestra) and Latin American ensembles.  His Ph.D. from UCLA is in composition with the cognate in ethnomusicology.

His ethnomusicological fieldwork in Minas Gerais, Brazil focuses on Afro-mineiro traditions and the Clube da Esquina popular music movement. He is currently writing a book on music from the region. His performance and study experience includes Brazilian batucada and Indonesian gamelan. He helped co-found the Institute for the Pedagogies of World Music Theories where he lectures on various issues related to theory, composition and the inclusion of world musics into the classroom. His publications include articles and reviews on Brazilian music topics, and a co-authored book chapter on American composer Lou Harrison’s compositions for gamelan.

Jonathon’s 2011 CD Chamber Music was released by Centaur Records, made possible by a CSUDH RSCAAP award. His compositions have been performed throughout California, New York, Europe, China, Mexico, and Brazil, and appear on the Centaur and Acoustic Levitation labels. He has received several grants from the American Composers Forum. His 2010 concerto for two trombones and gamelan, The Informal Sector, was heard on his February, 2011 CSUDH faculty recital along with other premieres. As an electric guitarist he has performed and recorded with the Los Angeles-based improvisation ensemble Surrealestate since 1995. The group released the 2010 CD Lacunae on Acoustic Levitation, and will release Aporias, its companion CD, in late 2011. He is completing a new collection of duet and trio improvisations to be released on AL in 2012.