Sharon L Johnson

Style: Opera; Jazz; Gospel; Classical; Musical Theatre

Title: Professor of Piano and Coordinator of Collaborative Piano

Bio:

Pianist Sharon Johnson has been heard on Minnesota Public Radio and WFMT Radio in Chicago; with the Greensboro Symphony and the Greensboro Philharmonia; in guest artist recitals at the North Carolina Museum of Art and Dickinson State University; First Friday series in Wooster, Ohio; the Baltimore Composers Forum in Maryland; and at the Schubert Club Courtroom Concert Series. She is actively involved in the premieres of new works on a regular basis: in fall 2003, she gave the Minnesota premiere of Ned Rorem’s chamber work, Aftermath. Along with baritone, David Klassen, she initiated a new concert series for young artists in Steinbach, Manitoba. Johnson was one of four pianists chosen to attend the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar in May of 2017.

Dr. Johnson gave the world premiere of Juliana Hall’s Peacock Pie (for solo piano) as well as Hall’s Songs of Enchantment (with soprano, Carrie Shaw) at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. She has performed in recital with Immanuel Davis, Jean del Santo, and Clifton Ware. Johnson served as invited pianist for the master classes of Keith Underwood at the University of Minnesota, and Eugene Rousseau at Shell Lake, Wisconsin. In addition she has served as one of the official accompanists for the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference and the International Double Reed Society Conference (including the world premiere of Richard Faith’s Trio for Bassoon, Oboe, and Piano). As primary keyboard/assistant director of the Continental Singers she has toured the United States, Asia, and Europe. Her performances in master classes and coachings include Nathaniel Rosen, Alexa Still, Emmanuel Pahud, Sherrill Milnes, Håkan Håkagaard, Martin Isepp, Martin Amlin, Ken Griffiths, Anne Epperson, Jean Barr, Zvi Zeitlin and Pierre Vallet. She has been heard on Minnesota Public Radio as pianist for the Ted Mann Vocal Quartet.

In addition to recital collaborations with colleagues, Johnson is one half of the duo piano team, Music By Two, with pianist Nancy Davis. Their repertoire includes compositions that range in style from romantic to 20th century to sacred. Since the spring of 2005, Music By Two has given multiple premieres of Eric Ewazen’s Sonata for Two pianos. During 2007, the duo gave the North Carolina premiere of an unpublished work by Lowell Liebermann (Three Lullabies, Op. 76); as well, a re-discovered four-hand piano work by Louise Talma was premiered in a concert at The Library of Congress, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the MacDowell Colony. Music By Two has recently contracted with Scott Management Agency for artist management (www.scottmanagementagency.net); their first CD project, American Landscapes, is planned for release in the near future. Johnson has also formed a partnership with saxophonist Chisato Eda Marling. They perform together as Duo du Soleil. Additional musical partnerships include: Dr. Cory Renbarger, baritone, and Andrew Stoker, saxophonist.

Educated at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Johnson received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance. She completed her DMA in collaborative piano with Margo Garrett and Tim Lovelace at the University of Minnesota (where she was a teaching assistant and Denny Scholar). Her dissertation examines text choice and setting in selected songs of Judith Zaimont, Libby Larsen, and Juliana Hall. Johnson has held faculty positions at Greensboro College as coach/accompanist for the opera workshop productions; The Music Center of Greensboro, as a private instructor; director/instructor at the Wesleyan Institute of Music and Arts; as faculty member of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Summer Piano Camp; and is a charter faculty member of the Vivace String Camp (piano/collaborative faculty). Currently she is Professor of Piano/Coordinator of Collaborative Piano at the Greatbatch School of Music at Houghton University in Houghton, New York.

Voice Type: Not Applicable

Music Styles Taught: Opera; Jazz; Gospel; Classical; Musical Theatre

Availability: I am available as a performer; I am available as a clinician or presenter; I accept students through a college or university program

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