Meet the musicians

Jonathan Tortolano

A native of Vermont, Jonathan has been living and working in Toronto since 1999. He first studied with Elsa Hilger, then attended the New England Conservatory, Oberlin College, and The Cleveland Institute of Music. He studied cello with Janos Starker and Andor Toth Jr. as well as chamber music with Eric Rosenblith and Eugene Lehner. Jonathan spent summers at Centre d’Arts Orford, Scotia Festival, Yellow Barn, and Tanglewood. Summers in Italy led to orchestral jobs in Spain, Portugal, and Norway.

Jonathan’s career led to being a member of two string quartets; one in Portugal as a member of Quartet Metropolis, the other in France with Quatuor Prima Vista. His life in Canada began with jobs in both Quebec City and Toronto – where he was appointed to a position at the Royal Conservatory of Music teaching cello and chamber music. Currently, Jonathan plays with the Pittsburgh Opera, Music Niagara, and is active in the classical performance and commercial music recording scene in Toronto.