Jonathan Kurtz is the coordinator for the Academy for the Fine Arts and instrumental music instructor at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, Maryland. Kurtz has taught all levels of music from Kindergarten through high school and has extensive experience directing ensembles, composing and arranging music. He earned a bachelor of music at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, a Master of Arts at the University of Maryland, College Park, and holds a Certificate of Educational Leadership from Hood College.
Kurtz has experience teaching concert band, general music, piano, music technology, jazz band, orchestra and chorus. He regularly writes and arranges music for his ensembles as well as for the piano. He has served as a guest clinician and adjudicator for various instrumental local ensembles, and his ensembles regularly receive superior ratings at festivals and competitions. Kurtz has published articles about music education in publications including, Teaching Music, The Instrumentalist, The Maryland Music Educator and The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Kurtz was the Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) 2022 Teacher of the Year and a finalist for Maryland Teacher of the Year. He was nominated for the Charles E. Tressler Distinguished Teaching Award in 2014 and FCPS Teacher of the Year in 2015.
Aside from music, Kurtz enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking, reading history, gardening and spending time with his family. He lives in Middletown with his wife, young son and dog, Maggie.
