Jonathan Miller is founder and Artistic Director of Chicago a cappella.  For his innovative programming and high musical standards, Jonathan Miller has gained international accolades, most recently the 2008 Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal from Chorus America.  Since founding Chicago a cappella in 1993, he has guided the ensemble through more than 130 concerts, seven commercial CD releases, and thirty choral-music demo CDs.  Passionate about bringing new music to Chicago audiences, Jonathan has presented more than sixty-five new a cappella works in their local, national, or world premieres.  His skills at presenting a wide spectrum of music are a combined product of his singer’s ear, scholar’s training, and composer’s temperament.  He was exposed at an early age to a wide range of music by a remarkable group of mentors, including Christopher Moore, Lena McLin, Max Janowski, Joseph Brewer, Howard Mayer Brown, Richard Proulx, John Nygro, and Anne Heider.  Eager to learn research tools for repertoire, Jonathan pursued musicology, earning his doctorate at UNC-Chapel Hill while remaining an active performer.  Since returning to the Chicago area, Jonathan has led the volunteer choir at Unity Temple in Oak Park (1997-2006), Heritage Chorale (2001-03), and several other choirs as clinician and coach.  He has written more than fifty choral works including his latest, Half asleep in prayer (for Chicago a cappella, premiered in February 2009);  his music has been sung at venues including St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Pentagon.  Since 1998, Jonathan has taken a growing leadership role in Chicago-area Jewish music, conducting high-holiday choral music and now leading Kabbalat Shabbat services at Congregation Rodfei Zedek in Hyde Park.  He has guest-conducted Kol Zimrah (the Jewish Community Chorus of Metro Chicago) and holds as a great honor his role as publisher of the late Max Janowski’s catalogue.  Jonathan lives with his wife and daughter in the woods of Downers Grove.