Baker Artist Portfolios

Jonathan Gilmore is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist from Baltimore with over ten years of experience in performance, programming, teaching, and directing. Deemed "Mr. Soul," he began his career in musical theater (The Wiz, Purlie, and other workshops) and as a backup vocalist for national musicians Navasha Daya, Donnie, and Musiq Soulchild, to mention a few. Gilmore worked as a teaching artist for Common Ground on the Hill at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, for six years, developing a curriculum on Race, Music History, Equity, Poetry, Hip Hop, Vocal Classes, and Choir Direction. Gilmore also spent four years with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation SAEP program teaching "Urban Folk" a curriculum Gilmore devised to educate the connection between Black politics and music and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation SAEP program "Urban Folk," a curriculum Gilmore developed to educate the confluence of Black politics and music, as well as the impact of Black music on the continuing Civil Rights movement.

Jonathan Gilmore completed a residency with the Baltimore Rock Opera Society, where he wrote, directed, and performed in two productions: the three-part "Rock Opera 101" series and the much-discussed "Funktopia". Jonathan founded "Funktopia," an artist collaborative seeking to transform how art is generated and presented. Following a successful summer 22 and spring 23 residency at The Voxel Theater, Jonathan will continue to expand the realm of Funktopia with programming to reach a wider audience. Funktopia recently joined Fusion Partnerships and plans to increase its reach in the future years!

Jonathan also leads two bands. "The Experience" with longstanding collaborator Lawrence "Mann" Robinson, and the "Jonathan Gilmore Project" whose debut album "Yes Love Music" will be released soon. Known for his vocal range and energetic performances, his presentations have been described as "the crossroads of church and a juke joint"