Jonas, Peter

Jonas, Peter, English opera administrator; b. London, Oct. 14, 1946. He was educated at the Univ. of Sussex (B.A., 1968), the Northern Coll. of Music, the Royal Coll. of Music in London, and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. From 1974 to 1976 he was assistant to the music director of the Chicago Sym. Orch., and then served as artistic administrator of that orch. from 1976 to 1985. He also was director of artistic administration of the Orchestral Assn. of Chicago from 1977 to 1985. He was managing director (later general director) of the English National Opera in London from 1985 to 1993. In 1993 he became Staatsintendant of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Jonas’s tenures in London and Munich were marked by his encouragement of contemporary opera performances.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Jonas, Peter (b London, 1946). Eng. administrator. Worked as extra and stagehand at Glyndebourne while student at Sussex Univ. Ass. to mus. dir. Chicago SO 1974–6, art. administrator 1976–85. Gen. dir., ENO, 1985–93. Intendant, Bavarian State Opera, Munich, from 1993. Noted for encouragement of contemp. composers and innovative prods. CBE 1992.