Jane Jessamine is a classical harpist, pianist, composer, educator, and researcher based in the Portland area. Her musical life began early: before she could speak in full sentences, she was already trailing behind her older sister during piano lessons and reaching for the instrument herself. She began formal piano study at five, and the music has remained at the center of her life ever since.

Jane studied piano for more than fourteen years with Kelli Brown Stephens, completing the Oregon Music Teachers Association Level 10 Syllabus under her guidance. At eight, she began harp studies with Marion Fouse. She later served as principal harpist of the Portland Youth Philharmonic under David Hattner, performing at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. At fourteen, she traveled to Hamburg to study with harpist Gesine Dreyer, an experience that strengthened her connection to the European classical tradition.

In 2015, Jane founded her independent music studio, now Bongiorno Music Studio. She teaches piano, harp, music theory, and practice coaching to students of varied ages, backgrounds, and learning styles. Her teaching is rooted in the belief that musical study should be serious, individualized, and sustainable. She also returned to Portland Youth Philharmonic as a music theory teacher.

Jane’s approach to piano technique is informed by the Taubman Approach, which she explored at the Golandsky Institute Summer Symposium at Princeton University. Its focus on efficient, coordinated movement and injury prevention continues to shape her teaching and her own playing.

Jane graduated summa cum laude from Portland State University with two Bachelor of Arts degrees: Music Performance, with concentrations in classical piano and harp, and Liberal Studies, with a minor in Philosophy. She studied with Julia Lee and Denise Fujikawa. Her senior lecture-recital brought together performance, scholarship, and an original catalogue of compositions for piano, harp, and harp–piano duo, including the beginning of her formal opus catalogue. She was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and selected as the College of the Arts undergraduate commencement speaker at graduation.

As a performer, Jane appears both as a soloist and as a collaborative musician. She has performed professionally with her sister, organist Rose Whitmore, since 2012, and continues to serve as a church organist and pianist. Her performances have included weddings, memorials, sacred services, community events, and orchestral work throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Jane is currently completing a Master of Science in Education Policy and Leadership and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Oregon. Her research considers music education, childhood development, and the expanding role of screen and AI-mediated learning. Across performance, composition, teaching, and research, she remains interested in one enduring question: what does disciplined musical study make possible in a person’s life?