Raised in the Bergisches Land region between Cologne and Düsseldorf, Jan Donner initially learned piano before discovering and studying the instruments of the trombone family.

Jan Donner was Wechselposaunist in the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin and a sought-after guest in numerous renowned German and international orchestras, including the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, DSO Berlin, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, Staatskapelle Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, among others. 

He was a founding member of the renowned brass ensemble 10forBrass. 

As a soloist, he has performed with the Polish Chamber Philharmonic, the Bergische Symphoniker, and the Stabsmusikkorps of the Bundeswehr Berlin.

As a guest, he is in demand at festivals such as the International Trombone Festival. He teaches at numerous national and international master classes.

In 2021 he released his debut album "Meanhwhile". 

Jan has a great passion for church music. At the Church of Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Upper Lusatia, he completed his C-certification as an organist by 2017. He completed a mediation training at the FernUniversität Hagen by 2020, followed by a certified mental coach training at ILS Hamburg the following year. In 2022, Jan received a certificate for the "Music Physiology" course (UDK/HMTM Hannover). Since 2018, he has been a lecturer at the HMT Rostock, and since 2019 he has been teaching at the Bach-Gymnasium, a Berlin special school for highly gifted orchestral students. In October 2022, he was appointed as a professor of trombone at the HFM Dresden.