Trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Jonathan Finlayson was born and raised in Oakland, California. After an invaluable mentorship with trumpeter and composer Robert Porter, Jonathan joined Steve Coleman's Five Elements. While recording and touring internationally with The Five Elements, he completed his BFA at The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music in 2005.

As a unique voice in the New York Creative Music Community, Finalyson went on to perform and record in a variety of ensembles led by Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill, Craig Harris, Ravi Coltrane, Mary Halvorson, Steve Lehman, Vijay Iyer and Craig Taborn among others.

In 2013, Jonathan Finlayson released his first of three critically acclaimed albums with PI Recordings Moment & The Message, Moving Still which he toured internationally and 3 Times Round. After attending the Jazz Composer Orchestra Institute in 2016, his composition If Not For The Moon was selected to be performed by The ACO Orchestra at Miller Theatre.

As a 2021 Artist in Residence at Roulette he premiered new compositions for quartet and quintet. His composition Yet to Be was commissioned by the violin duo String Noise and recorded on their 2021 release Alien Stories. Recent collaborations include Orchestre National de Jazz, ICE, Either/Or Ensemble, Terrance Etc, The Mark Morris Dance Group, Panorchestra and Jamie Baum Septet+.