Jonathan Latta

Jonathan Latta is a performer, teacher, conductor and collaborative artist. He has an active career as a percussionist having performed with the Stockton Symphony, Modesto Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. Outside of California, Latta served as principal timpani for the San Juan Symphony for six years, and recently served as principal percussion for the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra in Durango, CO. He has been seen as a regular music director, conductor and percussionist at Stockton Civic Theatre since 2021.

Before his move to California in 2014, Latta was director of percussion studies for six years at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO, teaching applied percussion, percussion ensemble, non-western music, orchestration and jazz. He also served as chair of the University Pedagogy Committee for the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) for six years and was a member of the PAS Education Committee.

In his early career, Latta was a member of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West. During that time, he performed in over 300 performances serving as percussion/timpani for the Concert Band, drum set for the Commanders Jazz Ensemble, marching percussion for the Ceremonial Band and drum set for the Golden West Dixie Ramblers. Performances included the 2003 Tournament of Roses Parade, the 2004 Sacramento Jazz Jubilee and the interment of former President Ronald W. Reagan.

With a real passion for chamber music, Latta has performed as a chamber musician in the Durango Chamber Music Festival, the Animas Music Festival, with the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento and with the Animas Percussion Quartet at the Percussive Arts Society International Conference. In 2019, Latta performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall as a soloist with University of the Pacific’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Most recently, Latta has been heard as a soloist and helped produce the Pacific Wind Bands’ recording, “From a Deep Blue Sky.”