Born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, Jonny Mansfield grew up surrounded by music. From an early age, influenced by his parents’ work as music educators and performers in the area, he was drawn to the idea of connection through sound—a culture that has softly guided his journey as a musician and composer.

More recently, Jonny has been involved in projects such as Byron Wallen’s 'Hurricane Bells,' performances with Emma Rawicz, and collaborating with Empirical for their 'Wonder is the Beginning' album launch featuring Jason Rebello. 

Jonny is currently developing several exciting projects, collaborating with both close friends and deeply inspiring musicians. These include performing as part of Felix Ambach’s band alongside Emmanuel Michael, Roger Kintopf, and Julius Gawlik, as well as working with longtime collaborators Rory and Dominic Ingham. A forthcoming three-track EP captures the energy of a live performance at The Loft in Cologne with Felix and Roger, and plans are underway for a sequel album to 'The Air In Front Of You' with his quintet. 

Jonny regularly updates his public folder 'PLAYSPACE' with unreleased recordings and evolving ideas. This ongoing project reflects his belief in approaching creativity with openness and adaptability—qualities that have always been at the heart of his relationship with music. 

Jonny has had the huge honour and pleasure of learning from and working with artists such as Chris Potter, Nikki Iles, Stan Sulzmann, Byron Wallen, Kit Downes, Jim Hart, Kaja Draksler, Ivo Neame, Tom Herbert to name a few. His musical journey has taken him around the world to venues including the Bimhuis, the Royal Albert Hall, and SXSW Festival.

In the summer of 2019, Jonny released his debut album with his 11-piece ensemble Elftet and toured the UK with the support of Arts Council England. This project was a milestone, reflecting years of collaboration and experimentation. The same year, he received the Kenny Wheeler Jazz Prize, leading to a release with Edition Records.

During lockdown in August 2020, Jonny set himself the challenge of composing, recording, mixing, and mastering an album in a single day. It was an attempt to capture the strange, introspective atmosphere of the time—a snapshot of creativity under unusual constraints. During this period, Jonny also pursued an MSc in Psychology at Huddersfield University, educating himself to understand connection in many forms and the way we learn from a young age. This exploration of psychology and its connection to creativity culminated in a set of compositions for quintet, which were later released as 'The Air In Front Of You,' an album featuring Dominic Ingham, Midori Jaeger, Will Sach, and James Maddren.

As a composer, Jonny values projects that allow for exploration and new challenges. He was commissioned by Marsden Jazz Festival to write an hour-long suite inspired by Simon Armitage’s poetry, later broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Now and nominated for an Ivors Award for Best Large Ensemble Jazz Composition. He also wrote a vibraphone and trombone duo for LSO principals Neil Percy and Peter Moore, which premiered at LSO St. Luke’s.

Jonny enjoys teaching and the opportunity it brings to share ideas and help others develop their own understanding and creativity within music. He currently teaches at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Trinity Laban Conservatoire and UCS Junior School.

"Really beautiful music.” - Jorge Rossy

"A musical vision beyond his years.” - Evan Parker