In 1995 he also completed his Trinity College Performance Diploma with distinction. He was then invited to study under Eliot Fisk in Cordoba, Spain. He was overall joint winner of the Classical Guitar Society of Southern Africa in 1997, and he also studied in that year with composer/guitarist Helmut Jasbar in Vienna. Jonathan completed his B. Mus Cum Laude at Wits University in 1997 where he had also won the Pierre du Toit guitar prize at Wits for three consecutive years.

Jonathan has worked and studied with South African master guitarist Johnny Fourie, the subject of his thesis, and worked on stage with international artists such as Renee Olstead, Andy Narell, Oleta Adams and Gerald Albright as well as with local stars such as Paul Hanmer, Wessel van Rensburg and Johnny Fourie amongst many others, in formats from classical, to jazz, jazz-rock and even electronica.

His first album ‘Dreams of Skilia’ was nominated for a SAMA in 2000. In 2005 he released his second album ‘My friends and I’ on the Gallo label which was a chamber jazz project featuring Sydney Mnisi, Carlo Mombelli and Tlale Makhene amongst others. In 2006 he released a live DVD of this project on the Next Music label.

His most current project ‘The Jonathan Crossley Electric Band’ is drawing on the Nu-jazz genre, which while growing worldwide is fairly new to South Africa. The album (released in April 07) features all original compositions, and was recorded live in one day. This band is forging new territory in jazz in South Africa, whilst being edgy and accessible simultaneously.

Having completed his M. Mus at Wits, he now teaches at this department, lecturing in jazz studies, compositions studies and digital recording technologies. "I love teaching," he says, "because you end up growing. Students always confront you with questions you can’t answer."