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Tom Johnson, received B.A. and M.Mus. degrees from Yale University, and studied composition privately with Morton Feldman. After 15 years in New York, he moved to Paris, where he has lived since 1983.

He is considered a minimalist, since he works with simple forms, limited scales, and generally reduced materials, but he proceeds in a more logical way than most minimalists, often using formulas, permutations, and predictable sequences.

Johnson is well known for his operas: The Four Note Opera (1972) continues to be presented in many countries. Riemannoper has been staged more than 20 times in German-speaking countries since its premier in Bremen in 1988. Often played non-operatic works include Bedtime Stories, Rational Melodies, Music and Questions, Counting Duets, Tango, Narayana’s Cows, and Failing: a very difficult piece for solo string bass.

His largest composition, the Bonhoeffer Oratorium, a two-hour work in German for orchestra, chorus, and soloists, with text by the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was premiered in Maastricht in 1996, and has since been presented in Berlin and New York.

Johnson has also written numerous radio pieces. The principal recordings currently available on CD are the Musique pour 88 (1988) (XI), An Hour for Piano (1971) (Lovely Music), The Chord Catalogue (1986) (XI), Organ and Silence (2000) (Ants), and Kientzy Plays Johnson (2004) (Pogus). Recent projects include Tilework, a series of 14 pieces for solo instruments, published by Editions 75 in 2003, Same or Different, a piece commissioned by the Dutchradio in 2004, and the Combinations for String Quartet, premiered in Berlin on the MärzMusik festival in 2004. As performer he frequently plays his Galileo, a 45-minute piece written for a self-invented percussion instrument. Johnson received the French national prize in the Victoires de la musique in 2001 for Kientzy Loops.

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Tom Johnson

Greeley (Colorado, USA), 1939

Residence: Paris (France)

  • Composer

On the web

On disc

Works

Past concerts

8 Octo 2022
5:00 pm
JohnsonLucier
In person Free admission
Albi (Tarn, France)
1 July 2022
31 Dece 2022
Série QB
JohnsonLizéeOesterleTan
Online event
24 Febr 2022
30 June 2022
Série QB
JohnsonLizéeOesterleTan
Online event
23 Febr 2022
7:30 pm
Série QB
JohnsonLizéeOesterleTan
Online event Live
Montréal (Québec)
23 Febr 2022
7:30 pm
Série QB
JohnsonLizéeOesterleTan
In person
Montréal (Québec)
4 June 2019
8:30 pm
Série QB
JohnsonYoung
In person
Montréal (Québec)
6 Marc 2010
8:00 pm
Johnson
In person
San Francisco (California, USA)
25 Apri 2008
8:00 pm
I
ButterfieldEkströmGosfieldHedelinHillborgJohnsonMurailPeterssonVivier
In person Free admission
Montréal (Québec)
20 Octo 2007
8:00 pm
Série QB
FargionJohnsonNewmanTrunk
In person
Montréal (Québec)
16 May 2004
8:00 pm
Série QB
JohnsonRizzutoSmithTenney
In person
Montréal (Québec)
21 Marc 2004
CoatesIvesJohnson
In person
Berlin (Germany)