EPK
Tomás Jonsson is a pianist and composer based in the Baltimore area whose work bridges jazz improvisation, classical training, Latin-American musical traditions, and the storytelling legacy of the Great American Songbook. Described as “extraordinarily talented” by Houston Public Media, he is known for an expressive style that combines an elegant touch, harmonic imagination, and a deep commitment to musical narrative. He is a 2026 Gilmore Piano Fellow. Although classically trained from the age of 5, Jonsson’s artistic voice was also profoundly shaped by years performing in historically Black churches, where gospel traditions reshaped his relationship to groove, harmony, and audience connection. Jonsson is a First-Prize Winner of both the 2025 Rubato International Jazz Piano Competition and the 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, and a Second-Prize Winner of the 2024 UNISA International Jazz Piano Competition in South Africa. Following his Jacksonville win, he led a piano trio at the 2023 Jacksonville Jazz Festival featuring Ulysses Owens Jr. and Reuben Rogers. His cross-cultural background — including strong Mexican roots through his grandmother and a bilingual upbringing — informs his compositional voice, recognized with the 2024 BMI/PeerMusic Latin Music Award for his original work Ocurrencias.
A collaborative artist with a particular affinity for vocal music, Jonsson has performed internationally with singer Dani Toralla at the 2025 and 2026 IGA Guatemala Jazz Festivals as part of their Brazilian jazz project Afina-Dos. His recordings include original releases with trumpeter Benny Benack III and three-time Juno Award–winning vocalist Caity Gyorgy. Jonsson has also performed with artists including Sean Jones, Warren Wolf, Michael Dease, and Jane Monheit. His upcoming project, The Unsung Sinatra (due 2027), is a creative reimagining of hidden gems from Frank Sinatra’s repertoire, featuring rising star Elijah Thiessen and Basie-band alum Brad Leali.
