MEET THE BAND
Musical Director: Mr Jonathan Beatty
Jonathan started playing trombone at junior school and soon joined his local band, Meltham. He went on to join Hade Edge Band; Sellars and then became the principal trombone player with Grimethorpe when he was twenty one. He studied at Huddersfield University, Royal Northern College of Music and Salford University.
Jonathan has worked as a professional musician for over twenty years. During this time he has played with an array of the country’s top orchestras including the orchestra of Opera North, the London Concert Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Liverpool Philharmonic and the English Northern Philharmonic.
He has appeared on both film and television at numerous events. These include the film “Brassed Off”, a live transmission of the “Eurovision Song Contest” with an audience of two-hundred million, BBC “Proms in the Park”, “Songs of Praise” and, most recently, the “Paul O’Grady Show” with members of Grimethorpe Colliery Band. He has performed in the backing orchestras to many household names such as Julian Lloyd Weber, Eveline Glenny, Leslie Garret, Nigel Kennedy, Topol, Hailey Westunbury, Willard White and Kate Rusby.
As a soloist of international repute, Jonathan has played solos at iconic venues around the world including Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall. He has given master classes in many places including the City de la Musique and the Paris Conservatoire, working many times in this role for the British Trombone Society. In addition to being a lecturer in Trombone at the University of Huddersfield; Jonathan is also currently a tutor in Lower Brass at Sheffield’s Birkdale School and teacher of Brass in schools including Nook Lane Junior School, Sheffield, where he is also a Governor.
Jonathan's fifteen year association with the Grimethorpe Colliery Band included winning many major contests with them as well as being in the film "Brassed Off". He has toured Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Japan with them. His solos are part of their extensive CD recordings. In the brass band world Jonathan is a popular guest for all the major brass bands in England.
In the last year Jonathan began conducting and was appointed conductor for Philharmonic brass, an orchestral brass group. In October, Jonathan was delighted to become the musical director for Dinnington Colliery Band and is looking forward to seeing the band develop and progress. Jonathan's wife is also a musician and shares a home in Holmfirth with their four children, two rabbits a cat and eight classic cars.
Playing Members:
