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Jonathan Dimond
Jonathan Dimond is an Australian multi-instrumentalist performer, composer, and educator. Jonathan's compositions, performances and recordings demonstrate his deep connection with jazz, European Classical Music, and other traditions from around the world.

Career
Jonathan began his musical career as a trombone player in Brisbane, Queensland during the 1980s, performing mostly in jazz ensembles as well as composing and arranging repertoire for the bands in which he played and lead. Early tours and recordings were made with Greg Quigley's Big Band, The Jade Jazz Quintet (modeled on the two-trombone act of J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding), Artisans Workshop, Contemporary Focus (modeled on Dave Holland's quintet) and Loops. Jonathan began performing on electric bass guitar during High School.

Jonathan completed a Bachelor of Music in classical trombone performance at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 1992.

Jonathan Dimond moved to the U.S.A. in 1993 to pursue post-graduate studies at New England Conservatory in Boston. It was there that he began formal studies in Hindusthani Music and took up tabla with Jerry Leake. Through the mentorship of Ran Blake, Jonathan found Third Stream pedogogy to be a harmonious fit with his eclectic interests and philosophy that placed value on diverse traditions to contemporary music-making. He also deepened his composition studies under the mentorship of Pozzi Escot.

Jonathan returned to Australia in 1995, and ran the Jazz Department at the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University from 1997 until his return to the U.S.A. in 2002. He worked as a composer, arranger, bassist, tabla-player and trombonist in Los Angeles before returning to Boston in 2005 to complete a Masters degree back at New England Conservatory. There he resumed studies of Indian classical music on fretless electric bass with sitarist Peter Row.

Since arriving in Melbourne in 2006, Jonathan has pursued performance and composition with the parallel career of tertiary music education, working at Box Hill Institute and then Melbourne Polytechnic (formerly NMIT) from 2011. Dr Dimond completed a PhD in Composition at the University of Queensland in 2018.

Recordings

 * Jeff Usher’s Jazz Unit Vol.I (1991) with JuJu.
 * Artisans Workshop (1993) with Artisans Workshop.
 * Events Dancing (1995) with New England Conservatory Jazz Bigband.
 * Recursion (1999) with Loops.
 * Ek! (2001) with Loops.
 * Airwaves: 100 Years of Radio (2005) with Loops & Topology.
 * Journeys: People, Places (2005) with Loops & special guests.
 * Kafka Pony (2006) with Mastaneh Nazarian.
 * A Tribute to Charlie Haden (2014) with various artists.
 * Classical Studies for Electric Bass Guitar, Vol.1 (2014) as a solo artist.
 * Yakiya (2017) with Tripataka.
 * Classical Studies for Electric Bass Guitar, Vol.2 (2020) as a solo artist.
 * Gliese 667C (2023) with Tripataka.

Awards

 * American Composers' Forum "Subito" grant for assistance in producing a CD of original compositions, 2004
 * Asialink Performing Arts Residency in Japan, 2002
 * Playing Australia grant to tour interstate, 2000
 * Queens Trust scholarship to travel to India, 1998-9
 * Australia Council for the Arts: Individual Development Grant, to study North Indian music, contemporary composition, improvisation & ear-training in Boston, 1994-95
 * Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor’s Performing Arts Fellowship for study in India, 1995-6
 * Arts Queensland: Professional Development Grant, to produce a concert of original Third Stream music in Boston, 1995
 * Won New England Conservatory “Honors Ensemble” auditions two consecutive years with his trio (1993-1994) and quintet (1994-1995)
 * Prize for Excellence in Trombone, Queensland Conservatorium, 1989 and 1991
 * Winner of Brass Specialist Shop Competition, Queensland Conservatorium, 1991
 * Winner of Yamaha Brass Competition, Queensland Conservatorium, 1992
 * Winner of Queensland Conservatorium Jazz Prize, 1991, and joint winner, 1992
 * Dr Gordon Spearitt Prize for Best Research Project, 1992