ADAM JOHNSON
Conductor
In the Press
Biography & CV
Thrilling audiences at the top levels of the Canadian music scene, award-winning Canadian conductor Adam Johnson has been praised as “an exciting talent” and for his “charismatic, commanding presence” on the podium. A highly-sought leader, he completed his training in his role as Assistant Conductor of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra from 2016-2018, and was appointed Resident Conductor for the 2018-2019 season. He collaborated closely with Music Director Kent Nagano on recordings for Decca and Analekta, and contributed to performances in Carnegie Hall, the Salzburg Festival, and a major European tour. He has conducted more than 65 concerts with the OSM and is frequently reengaged as a guest conductor.
Prior to his tenure in Montréal, Johnson served for three seasons with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, initially as Resident Conductor (2013-2015), and subsequently as Associate Conductor (2015-2016). He has also guest-conducted the Edmonton, Québec, Trois-Rivières, Saskatoon, Regina, Guelph and Thunder Bay symphony orchestras, as well as Symphony Nova Scotia, l’Orchestre du Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, and l’Orchestre symphonique de l’Estuaire. Internationally he has conducted the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, the Staatsorhester Rheinische Philharmonie and members of the Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg.
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Repertoire
Performance History
Contemporary
Repertoire
News
May 2022
May 2022
Adam Johnson returns to the Guelph Symphony Orchestra after a triumphant debut in 2019. On May 1st he leads the GSO in Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Montgomery's Strum, Beethoven's Romance for violin with Jonathan Crow as soloist, Saint-Saens' Symphony no. 3 and Marquez's Danzon no. 2. He then makes his debut with the Olympia Symphony Orchestra in Washington on May 22nd, as well as working with the Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO) on May 8th.
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Adam Johnson returns to the Guelph Symphony Orchestra after a triumphant debut in 2019. On May 1st he leads the GSO in Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Montgomery's Strum, Beethoven's Romance for violin with Jonathan Crow as soloist, Saint-Saens' Symphony no. 3 and Marquez's Danzon no. 2. He then makes his debut with the Olympia Symphony Orchestra in Washington on May 22nd, as well as working with the Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO) on May 8th.
April 2022
April 2022
Adam Johnson makes his début with the Regina Symphony Orchestra on April 9th with 2 performances of a program featuring Dvorak's Serenade for Strings, Kelley-Marie Murphy's Indelible Lines, invisible surface and Haydn's Symphony no. 83 "The Bear".
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Adam Johnson makes his début with the Regina Symphony Orchestra on April 9th with 2 performances of a program featuring Dvorak's Serenade for Strings, Kelley-Marie Murphy's Indelible Lines, invisible surface and Haydn's Symphony no. 83 "The Bear".
March 2022
March 2022
Following the critical success of A Quiet Place in Paris, Adam Johnson returns to the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for performances on Mar. 20-21 of Ensemble à tout Coup with the TorQ Percussion Quartet.
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Following the critical success of A Quiet Place in Paris, Adam Johnson returns to the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal for performances on Mar. 20-21 of Ensemble à tout Coup with the TorQ Percussion Quartet.
February 2022
February 2022
Adam Johnson spends five and a half weeks at the Opéra National de Paris at the invitation of Kent Nagano, conducting three weeks of staging rehearsals for a new production of A Quiet Place by Leonard Bernstein and assisting Nagano for the final 2 weeks of rehearsals in the historic Opéra Garnier.
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Adam Johnson spends five and a half weeks at the Opéra National de Paris at the invitation of Kent Nagano, conducting three weeks of staging rehearsals for a new production of A Quiet Place by Leonard Bernstein and assisting Nagano for the final 2 weeks of rehearsals in the historic Opéra Garnier.
January 2022
January 2022
Adam Johnson replaces Bramwell Tovey conducting the Orchestre du conservatoire de musique de Montréal at the Maison Symphonique on Jan. 30th in a program featuring Rachmaninoff's Piano concerto no. 3 and Shostakovich's Symphony no. 9.
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Adam Johnson replaces Bramwell Tovey conducting the Orchestre du conservatoire de musique de Montréal at the Maison Symphonique on Jan. 30th in a program featuring Rachmaninoff's Piano concerto no. 3 and Shostakovich's Symphony no. 9.
December 2021
December 2021
On Dec. 3rd Adam Johnson replaces OSM Music Director Rafael Payare rehearsing Strauss Die Fledermaus Overture, Tchaikovsky Polonaise and the Nutcracker Suite. He then completes the filming of the special virtual reality project with the OSM with Andrew Wan as soloist on the same day. On Dec. 4th and 11th he returns for a 2nd engagement in the 2021 season with the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, performing Claude Champagne Danse Villagoise, Mozart German Dances, Tchaikovsky Nutcraker Suite and 12 French songs featuring Claire Pelletier. On Dec. 9th he conducts the I Medici di McGill Orchestra in Joseph Bologne's Symphony no. 2, Haydn's Violin Concerto no. 1, and Mozart Symphony no. 40.
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On Dec. 3rd Adam Johnson replaces OSM Music Director Rafael Payare rehearsing Strauss Die Fledermaus Overture, Tchaikovsky Polonaise and the Nutcracker Suite. He then completes the filming of the special virtual reality project with the OSM with Andrew Wan as soloist on the same day. On Dec. 4th and 11th he returns for a 2nd engagement in the 2021 season with the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, performing Claude Champagne Danse Villagoise, Mozart German Dances, Tchaikovsky Nutcraker Suite and 12 French songs featuring Claire Pelletier. On Dec. 9th he conducts the I Medici di McGill Orchestra in Joseph Bologne's Symphony no. 2, Haydn's Violin Concerto no. 1, and Mozart Symphony no. 40.
November 2021
November 2021
Making his debut with the Orchestre symphonique de l'Estuaire on Nov. 6th, Adam Johnson conducts Violet Archer's Poème pour orchestre, Ethyl Smith's Concerto for horn and violin, and Dvorak's Symphony no. 7. He then makes his long anticipated return to the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 20th in a program featuring Joseph Boulogne's Symphony no. 2, Devienne Flute concerto no. 7, and Haydn's Symphony no. 83 "The Bear" On Nov. 26 Adam Johnson conducts a recording session for a special virtual reality project with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal featuring Andrew Wan as soloist.
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Making his debut with the Orchestre symphonique de l'Estuaire on Nov. 6th, Adam Johnson conducts Violet Archer's Poème pour orchestre, Ethyl Smith's Concerto for horn and violin, and Dvorak's Symphony no. 7. He then makes his long anticipated return to the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra on Nov. 20th in a program featuring Joseph Boulogne's Symphony no. 2, Devienne Flute concerto no. 7, and Haydn's Symphony no. 83 "The Bear" On Nov. 26 Adam Johnson conducts a recording session for a special virtual reality project with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal featuring Andrew Wan as soloist.
October 2021
October 2021
Adam Johnson returns to the recording studio for Cirque du Soleil's new show "Drawn to Life" in collaboration with Disney in Orlando, Florida.
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Adam Johnson returns to the recording studio for Cirque du Soleil's new show "Drawn to Life" in collaboration with Disney in Orlando, Florida.
August 2021
August 2021
Returning to the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, Adam Johnson conducts a world premiere by Nicolas Gilbert and works by Susato and Scheidt.
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Returning to the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières, Adam Johnson conducts a world premiere by Nicolas Gilbert and works by Susato and Scheidt.
