Born and raised in Arlington, Texas, Jonathan started his piano studies with Carolyn Savko at the age of five. Under the tutelage of Carol Leone, Jonathan earned a Bachelors of Music with Honors at the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University (SMU). Jonathan entered l’Université de Montréal in 2005 as a Masters of Music student of Marc Durand, and through an accelerated program received his doctorate in 2009.
Jonathan has participated in the TCU/Cliburn Piano Institute in Fort Worth, Le Centre d’arts Orford in Quebec, and the Banff International Keyboard Festival. Through these institutes Jonathan has received instruction from some of the premier musicians from around the world, including Joaquín Achúcarro, Boris Berman, Jerome Lowenthal, John Perry, Boris Petrushansky, Abbey Simon, Arnold Steinhardt, and Tamas Ungar.
Jonathan has remained active as a chamber musician; he was the first pianist to participate in The Institute for Strings, a chamber music intensive program founded by Dallas Symphony Orchestra violinist Jan Sloman. Jonathan has also been a featured soloist with orchestras including the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra, the Houston School for the Performing and Visual Arts Orchestra, and the Meadows Symphony Orchestra.
First prize in the 4th annual Concours de musique de Repentigny (2006), Jonathan made his Canadian solo debut during the following concert season. He was a top prizewinner in the collegiate division of the Janice K. Hodges Contemporary Piano Performance Award, and was also a top prizewinner in both solo and concerto divisions of the Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA) piano competitions. He is also the winner of the South Central division of the 2004-2005 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artists Piano competition and was a national finalist.
Jonathan also has participated in various extra-curricular activities including football, track-and-field, and Teen Court. He was a three-time winner of the Eagle Award, given out yearly to the top competitor in the Traditional Karate League. In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys playing football, maintaining his website (www.jonathantsay.com), and watching cartoons. His long-term goals include purchasing a small island at the US/Canadian border with his close friends and building a summer haven there.