Background
He was born Stanley Guy Jonson at Finchley, north London, the son of an auctioneer.
He was born Stanley Guy Jonson at Finchley, north London, the son of an auctioneer.
He attended Highgate school in north London but left at 14 to continue his piano studies with Tobias Matthay (formerly of the Royal Academy of Music).
He gave his first piano recital in Eastbourne at the age of 13. Subsequently, he studied under Alfred Cortot. His first major recital was given at the famous Wigmore Hall, London, in November 1936, and he went on to perform several solo recitals and concertos for the British Broadcasting Corporation (at Broadcasting House) which were broadcast live on the overseas radio network.
In 1939, shortly after being made the youngest ever Professor at the Royal Academy, Jonson was called up to serve in the Royal Artillery, then the Army Educational Corps.
In 1946 he was demobilized and returned to his position of Professor at the Royal Academy. Guy Jonson adjudicated at music festivals throughout Britain and Ireland and gave piano recitals all around the world.
After retiring from the Royal Academy he continued to teach privately. Among his distinguished pupils were Pianists Dimitris Sgouros, Martin Jones, Angela Lear, Julian Saphir and Philip Smith and the composers Sir John Tavener and Iain Hamilton.