Craig Randal Johnson/ Conductor and Music Director
Engagements:
(Repertoire list below) The FinnFest 2007 Symphony Concert
Conductor/ Music Director
July 27, 2007
Lakeside Performing Arts Center
Ashtabula, OH
Elizabeth Bell, Solo Violinist
Boreal Chamber Symphony/ 'Concert for Lake Superior'
Conductor and Artistic Director
July 15, 2007
Upfront and Company
Marquette, MI
Southwest Minnesota Orchestra
Guest Conductor
April 29, 2007
Schwan Community Center for the Performing Arts
Marshall, MN
Daniel Rieppel, Solo Pianist
Marquette Symphony Orchestra
Guest Conductor
September 16, 2006
Kaufman Auditorium
Marquette, MI
Superior Festival Orchestra Chamber Players
Conductor
August 4, 2006
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Escanaba, MI
Finn Grand Fest 2005 Gala Festival Concert
Conductor/ Music Director
August 11, 2005
Lakeview Arena/ Marquette MI
Evan Premo, Solo Double Bassist/ Composer Jukka Linkola
James Koenig, Baritone Soloist
The Finn Grand Fest 2005 Festival Orchestra
The Marquette Choral Society
Superior Festival Orchestra
Conductor/ Music Director
July 31, 2005 Reynolds Recital Hall, Marquette, MI
Catherine LeGrand, Solo Flutist
August 5, 2005 Reynolds Recital Hall, Marquette, MI
August 6, 2005 William W. Oliver Auditorium, Escanaba, MI
Hamline University Orchestra
Guest Conductor
November 5, 2005
Sundin Hall
St. Paul, MN
Superior Festival Orchestra
Guest Conductor
July 29, 2004
Norway Fine Arts Performing Center/ Norway, MI
Evan Premo, Solo Double Bassist
Mary Bonhag, Soprano
White Water Ensemble
Arius Chamber Orchestra Concert
Guest Conductor
March 7, 2004 Bloomington Center for the Arts/ Bloomington MN
March 14, 2004 St. Michael’s Lutheran Church/ Bloomington MN
Jake Endres, Baritone
Finnfest 2002 Symphony Concert
Conductor/Music Director
August 11, 2002
Ted Mann Auditorium/ Minneapolis, MN
Ulla Suokko, Flute Soloist
Eeva Savolainen, Soprano
James Koenig, Baritone
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North Star Opera
1985-1986
St. Paul, Minnesota
Music Director
Menotti: ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors'
O’Shaughnessy Auditorium
Conductor/ Music Director
Mozart: ‘The Marriage of Figaro’
Larry Whiteley, Stage Director
O’Shaughnessy Auditorium
Read the Reviews
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College Light Opera Company
Conductor
Summer 1983
Highfield Theater in Falmouth MA
Productions: ‘The Desert Song’, ‘Princess Ida’, and ‘South Pacific’
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Städtische Bühnen Osnabrück
Leiter der Schauspielmusik (Director for Stage Music)/ Repetitor
1980-1983
Osnabrück, Germany (West)
Major Productions (18 - 30 performances each):
Schweyk in World War II/ Schweyk im zweiten Weltkrieg
By Bertolt Brecht / Music by Hanns Eisler
Stage Direction: Goswin Moniac
The Caucasian Chalk Circle/ Der kaukasische Kreidekreis
By Bertolt Brecht/ Music by Paul Dessau
Stage Direction: Goswin Moniac and Rolf Wilken
Addiitional Performances in Gießen, Lünen, and Minden.
‘The Star’/ Die Kleider (first German performances)
By Helmut Kajzar (Warsaw National Theater)/ Music by Piotr Moss
Stage Direction: Helmut Kajzar
Richard’s Cork Leg/ Richards Korkbein
By Brendan Behan/ Music Irish songs, various
Stage Direction: Rudolf Kautek (Austria)
Pinocchio’s Adventures, by Willy Herzig adapted from Carlo Collodi
Craig Johnson, Composer
Gingerbread Man/ Der Pfefferkuchenmann
Christmas Play with music by David Wood
ORIGINAL MUSIC composed for: Leonce and Lena (Buchner), Stage of Siege (Camus), Der Tollste Tag (Turrini after Beaumarchais), King Lear (Shakespeare), and other productions.
Read the Reviews
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Rome Festival Orchestra
Resident Conductor
1980-1982
Rome, Italy
Repertoire:
‘The Marriage of Figaro’ (Mozart)/ Rome in 1982
‘Cosi fan tutte’ (Mozart)/ Rome and Anzio in 1981
Orchestral Performances in Rome, The Vatican, Foggia, Syracusa, Bari, Catania, Naples.
Read the Reviews
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Staatstheater Braunschweig
Solo Opera and Ballet Repetitor/ Assistant Conductor
1978-1979
Braunschweig, Germany (West)
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Staatstheater Bremen
Repetitor for Ballet/ Assistant Conductor
1977-1978/
Bremen, Germany (West)
Hanns Kresnik, Ballet Director
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Florida Symphony Orchestra
Staff Conductor
1974-76
Orlando, Florida
44 Childrens Concerts in Orlando, Sanford; Orange, Seminole and Osceola Counties
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Other Minneapolis-St. Paul area ensembles conducted:
Ensemble Warhol
Finlandia Foundation Orchestra
Lakeshore Players
MacPhail Concerto Concert
Minneapolis All-City High School Opera: ‘THE MAGIC FLUTE’
The Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra/ 1991 Summer Season
North Hennepin Community College Theater
Theatre l’Homme Dieu
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Repertoire Conducted in Concert since 2002:
Abels, Michael: American Variations on “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”
Mark Flaherty, Trumpet Soloist
Almila, Atso: Main Paras Vaif/ My Best Wife
James Koenig, Baritone
Anderson, Leroy: The Typewriter
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67
Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3, Op. 72a
Bernstein: Overture to “Candide”
Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73
Copenhaver, Lee: *Classic Changes
Englund, Einar: Music from the Film ‘The White Reindeer’/ Valkoinen Peura
Gershwin: An American in Paris
Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46
Händel: Selections from the ‘Water Music’
Ives: Variations on “America”
Järnefelt, Armas: Praeludium, and Berceuse
Kuusisto, Taneli: Suomalainen Rukous/ Finnish Prayer
James Koenig, Baritone
Melartin, Erkki Violin Concerto, Op. 60
Elizabeth Bell, Violin Soloist
Merikanto, Oscar: Five Songs
Eeva Savolainen, Soprano/ James Koenig, Baritone
Mozart: Symphony No. 29 in A, K. 201
Mozart: Serenade No. 10 in B-flat, K. 361 “Gran Partita”
Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro: Overture and three Arias
Jake Endres, Baritone
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525
Nielsen, Carl: Suite for String Orchestra, Op. 1
Pärt, Arvo: Fratres/ for String Orchestra and Percussion
Premo, Evan: *Fall Storm on Lake Superior
Proto, Frank: A Carmen Fantasy for Double Bass and Orchestra
Evan Premo, Double Bassist
Rautavaara: Concerto for Flutes and Orchestra, Op. 69
Ulla Suokko, Flute Soloist
Schubert: Rosamunde Overture, K. 644
Sibelius: Karelia Suite, Op. 11
Sibelius: Rakastava/ The Lover, Op. 14
Sibelius: Lemminkäinen’s Return, Op. 22
Sibelius: Finlandia, Op. 26
Sibelius: Valse Triste, Op. 44
Sibelius: Dance Intermezzo, Op. 45, No. 2
Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 in C Major, Op. 52
Sibelius: Pan and Echo, Op. 53
Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E-flat, Op. 82
Stamitz, Karl: Flute Concerto in G, Op. 29
Catherine LeGrand, Flute Soloist
Tikka, Kari: Exsultate!/ Overture Bellosio
Tikka, Kari: *Threnos, for String Orchestra
Commemorating the Victims of New York and Washington/ September 11, 2001
Whitcomb, Robert: *Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (2006)
Daniel Rieppel, Piano Soloist
Wiren, Dag: Serenade for String Orchestra, Op. 11
* denotes World Premiere
With the ‘White Water Band’:
Water from Another Time, River, Danny Boy, Finnish Folk Songs: Metsakukkia, Villirussu, Maailman Matti, Karjalan Poijat Polkka.
Evan Premo, Double Bassist
Mary Bonhag, Soprano
Laurel Premo, Banjo and Guitar
Arrangements:
Ellington/ arr. Hermann: A Duke Ellington Fantasy
Kander, arr. Sayre: Theme from “New York, New York”
Kern/ arr. Bourdon: “Show Boat” Medley
Loesser/ arr. Custer: Music from “Guys and Dolls”
Webber/ arr. Custer: “Phantom of the Opera” Selections
Williams/ arr. Cacavas: “Jaws”, Suite from the Motion Picture
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