Jon F. Howe (he/they/any) is an asexual Rhode Island-based composer and french hornist whose practice exists at the intersection of conversation, mythology, folksong, improvisation, synthesis, and queerness to create music with lush harmonies and lyrical melodies; often combining acoustic elements with electronics. Their works seek to fuse the queer identity with folk traditions and mythological stories. Interweaving moments of tonality with post tonality, Jon’s music fluidly shifts across various styles of music. Outside of concert halls, Jon’s music can be heard in original soundtrack for the upcoming bullet hell video game, Bullets and Ballgowns as well as at Mystified Escape Rooms (Mystic, CT) where he composed the soundscape for their room The Mystic’s Ritual. When not composing or performing, Jon can be found exploring the woods, at the archery range, or playing a board game.

 

Jon’s music has been featured at numerous concerts and festivals, including: University of Rhode Island New Music Festival, Uncertainty of Fate Festival, the Hartt Collage Concert Series, Public Works Concert Series, Hartt Electronic Music Concert Series, and the Hartt Studio D Electroacoustic Collaboration Concert Series. Jon’s music has been performed across southern New England, including the New Britain Art Museum (New Britain, CT), and the Bushnell Performing Arts Center (Hartford, CT). Jon’s works have been performed and written for various ensembles and soloists across the country, including: the Dalí Quartet, Nathalie Joachim, Hub New Music, Lively Experiment, Ottava Bassa Duo, Brendon Lewis, and Hunter Hellard.

 

An active performer themself, Jon can be found performing with chamber ensembles, wind bands, orchestras, and as a soloist performing his own works. Jon is also an advocate for the works of other living composers. In 2019, he performed a recital of all music written by living composers for the horn and piano. Jon is also an advocate of collaborating alongside educators, encouraging young musicians to explore composition and improvisation as part of the foundation of their musical practices.

 

In 2021, Jon received the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Grant where he arranged pieces for asynchronous ensembles and created accompanying lesson plans to the pieces he arranged. He was also a 2019 Recipient of the University of Rhode Island College of Arts and Sciences Fellowship where he composed the orchestral work Dullahan’s Ride. Other awards include talent scholarships from both the University of Rhode Island and the Hartt School as well as the Graduate Electronic Music Fellowship from the Hartt School.

Jon is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Composition from the Hartt School, where he also obtained his Masters of Music in Composition. Jon also holds a Bachelors of Music in Composition degree from the University of Rhode Island. His major composition teachers have included Kyle Grimm, Daron Hagen, Gilda Lyons, Tawnie Olson, Anthony R. Green, Eliane Aberdam and Kirsten Volness. Jon has studied horn with Barbara Hill, Cathryn Cummings, Jaime Thorne, and Elizabeth Gates.