Jonathon Kirk, Professor of Music at North Central College, teaches music composition, music theory and analysis, computer and electronic music, film music, and interdisciplinary courses in music and technology. His musical and visual work has recently been presented at venues including the Tate Modern in London, London and Melbourne International Animation Festivals, Festival Internazionale di Musica Elettroacustica del Conservatorio S. Cecilia in Rome, Los Angeles Short Film Festival, Courtisane Festival in Brussels, Boston Cyberarts Festival, Listening in the Sound Kitchen at Princeton University, Visual Music Marathon, European Capital of Culture in Brugge, and Soundtrack_Cologne festival. Kirk's work has also been featured at the World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok, Thailand and Montreal, Canada, the National Flute Association in Washington D.C., Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie (ZKM) in Karlsruhe, Germany, Festival Musica Viva in Portugal, Itaú Cultural in Sao Paulo, and Centro Cultural de España in San Jose, Costa Rica. His compositions have been performed by numerous new music ensembles in the United States including the Spektral Quartet, Ensemble Dal Niente, Harvard Collegium Musicum, and members of Champ D'Action, Alarm Will Sound, International Contemporary Ensemble, and Ensemble Modern.
Along with composer Lee Weisert, he is a member of the Portable Acoustic Modification Laboratory (PAML), a collaborative sound installation team. PAML has been invited to present their sound installation work at festivals and venues across the country, including the Santa Fe International New Media Festival (Currents), New York City Electroacoustic Festival, International New Interfaces for Music Expression, the International Computer Music Conference, TedX conference at UNC, Chapel Hill, the Blandy Experimental Farm at the University of Virginia, and the South Carolina Botanical Garden at Clemson University.
He has held residencies at La Macina di San Cresci, Greve-in-Chianti, Italy (2024), Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona (2009) and was funded by the Vlaams Gemeenschapp for a 2000-2001 residency at the Logos Foundation for Experimental Music in Belgium. He is currently the composer-in-residence with Picosa. His music is published on Innova Records, Albany Records, Ears & Eyes Records and Garrett's Kayak.
Download CVSelected Scholarship
Wetters, B., & Kirk, J. (2019). Maderna's Mahler: A Model for Electroacoustic Composition. In Proceedings of the 46th International Computer Music Conference. Paper presented at New York University, NY, USA. 16-23 June, 2019.
Kirk, J., & Weisert, L. (2016). Granular Wall: Approaches to sonifying fluid motion. In Proceedings of the 43rd International Computer Music Conference. Paper presented at Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands, 12-16 September (pp. 149-153).
Kirk, J., & Nicholson, N. (2016). Visualizing Euclidean Rhythms using Tangle Theory. Polymath: An Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Journal, 6(1), 1-10.
Kirk, J. (2010). Otoacoustic Emissions as a Compositional Tool. n Proceedings of the 38th International Computer Music Conference. Paper presented at New York University & SUNY Stony Brook, June 8-12. ICMA, Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library.
Discography
2025 Picosa, Recording or original works and arrangements , forthcoming
2025 Matthew Golombisky and Jonathon Kirk, Fog from Bones; ears & eyes records, forthcoming, June 2025
2020 After Eye, music for instruments with live electronics; Garrett’s Kayak
2015 Duo XXI, Metal Cicadas, recording of Metal Cicadas; Albany Records, Troy 15
2011 Randall Hall, The Passage Between, recording of Reflections on Eternity; Innova Records, #715
2008 Pendulum; Medusa Critical Publications #007
2007 Randall Hall, The Passage Between, recording of necronebula; Innova Records #660
Discography as a performer
2024 Maurice (Nouvelle), The Great Sift, in development
2024 Paul Johnston, Duets, EIU Records
2023 Lee Weisert, Recesses. New Focus Recordings, fcr366
2022 Maurice (Nouvelle), At the Piano,
2020 Maurice (Nouvelle), Playtime, Garrett’s Kayak
2019 Maurice (Nouvelle), Pear in the Finish, Garrett’s Kayak
2016 Maurice (Nouvelle), Bouncy Things, Maurice Chicago 2016
2012 Maurice (Nouvelle), Pour Toi, Maurice Chicago 2012
2011 Maurice (Nouvelle), Plants & X-rays, Maurice Chicago 2011
2010 Maurice (Nouvelle), Everything is Floating, Ears & Eyes Records
2008 Maurice (Nouvelle), Ace of Wands, Ears & Eyes Records
2006 Tomorrow Music Orchestra, Neon Jesus Garage, Ears & Eyes Records
2000 Eastman Wind Ensemble, Eastman at 50: Works of Mozart, Gershwin, Weill, Kennan, Iannacocone, others. Arrangements by Donal Hunsberger, others. Warner Bros. Publications, DH001CD
1999 Jonathon Kirk, Brahms Corelli Hovhaness. Tenor Tuba Reference Recordings
Courses Taught
Music Theory III (MUSI 201)
Music Theory IV (MUSI 202)
Arranging and Orchestration (MUSI 342)
Applied Music Composition
Electronic and Computer Music (MUSI 385)
Introduction to Music Technology (MUSI 285)
Cardinal Directions Seminar (CARD 400)