Jonathan was awarded a scholarship to the Intermediate School of the Royal Academy of Music, London at the age of fifteen where he continued his studies full-time at eighteen gaining a graduate degree. Further tuition at the Royal College of Music followed resulting in a performance diploma and since then Jonathan has pursued many musical activities including performing, accompanying, coaching, teaching, composing and researching. His main academic interest is in pianists of the past and historical piano recordings and on this subject he is a leading authority having published an 860 page book.

In 2003 Jonathan and soprano Rebecca Plack gave the premiere of his song cycle Five Poems of Robert Frost and in 2005 together they won the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition resulting in concerts in London and Budapest.

Jonathan Summers is Curator of Classical Music at the British Library.