Jonathan Ovalle

Jonathan Ovalle is a percussionist and designer from Detroit, Michigan, whose diverse experience spans music, education, technology, leadership, collaboration, engagement, recruiting, retention, and strategic planning.

Higher Education Leadership

His career in higher education includes a consistent track record of leading program growth at both large Tier 1 institutions and smaller regional universities. Most recently at Saginaw Valley State University, he led the percussion program to a 900% increase in enrollment between 2021-2025, alongside a 100% increase in drumline participation and a 95-99% retention rate. These results stem directly from strategic leadership, culture-building, and targeted retention initiatives.

In addition to Saginaw Valley State University, he has held teaching positions at Plymouth Canton Educational Park, University of Toledo, and the University of Michigan, where he taught applied lessons, served as co-director of the percussion ensemble, director of the Latin Jazz ensemble, and served as a faculty associate in Latino studies.

Teaching and Mentorship

As a dedicated teacher and mentor, his former students have achieved widespread success, pursuing studies at institutions including the Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Juilliard School, Boston University, Peabody Conservatory, University of Michigan, Mannes College of Music, and University of Southern California, among others. They now hold professional positions in symphony orchestras, military bands, as university percussion teachers, freelancers, chamber musicians, entrepreneurs, and public-school educators.

In addition to academic teaching positions, he has served as faculty at the International Percussion Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and Idyllwild Summer Chamber Intensive. He has been a featured guest artist at the University of Central Florida Summer Percussion Symposium, as well as the Ohio, Tennessee, Ontario, Michigan, Idaho, Quebec, and Emory University Days of Percussion.

Performance Experience

He has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Brass Band of Battle Creek, and Sarasota Opera. He has performed and collaborated with jazz artists Tim Whalen, Bobby Streng, Vic Juris, Ellen Rowe, Andrew Bishop, Roland Vazquez, Wesley Reynoso, and Pepe Espinosa, toured with the percussion duo Percunova, and is currently a member of the genre-bending world percussion chamber group Ensemble Duniya.

His convention and festival performances include the Percussive Arts Society International Convention, The Midwest Clinic, North America Saxophone Alliance, Jazz Educators Network Convention, Green Box Arts Festival, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Texas Bandmasters Convention, Detroit Jazz Festival, and Jazzloop, as well as solo and chamber performances in Scotland, India, Thailand, Canada, and 20 U.S. states.

Recent Projects 

Recent recording projects include Vent (2022) with saxophonist Jeffrey Heisler and pianist I-Chen Yeh, and Time's Arc (2024), the debut recording of Ensemble Duniya. Notable composition and arranging projects include co-arranging and co-orchestrating the Musical Theater International production of 1660 Vine (2024), as well as Snapshots, a new work for solo bassoon and electronics premiered in March 2023 by bassoonist Susan Nelson.

Education and Endorsements

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater & Dance, where his teachers included Michael Udow, Julie Spencer, Michael Gould, Gerald Cleaver, and Ted Piltzecker. He is an artist/endorser with Pearl/Adams, Zildjian, Remo, Tapspace, and Innovative Percussion.

In addition to his work as a musician, he is a freelance web and user experience designer who works to improve lives through better technology. When not performing or teaching, he can be found deep in a creative Logic session with his favorite plug-ins and virtual instruments or strategically arranging rectangles in Figma.