Craig Randal Johnson recently conducted the USA premiere of the new Jukka Linkola opera "Rockland, The Opera", to sold out houses in Houghton, Michigan (July 2011). The opera was web livestreamed over the internet, reaching tens of thousands of viewers. (see pmmf.org for more details). Other recent conducting engagements have included the FinnFest 2011 (San Diego), 2007 (Ashtabula OH) and 2005 (Marquette MI) Symphony Concerts, The Southwest Minnesota Orchestra, the Marquette Symphony (MI), the Superior Festival Orchestra (as Music Director), and the Arius Chamber Orchestra (MN). Craig was music director for all classical music concerts at the San Diego Finnfest. Solo piano appearances include recitals in Hannover, Germany (2011), Ylivieska, Finland (2011), in St. Paul MN (2011), three additional appearances in Hannover DE in 2009 and 2011, at Finnfest 2008 in Duluth, in Thousand Oaks CA at the Seventh Nordic Spirit Symposium, at the Hartt School in Hartford CT, and at Southwest State University in Marshall MN. He is Artistic Director of the newly formed Boreal Chamber Symphony, which made its debut performing 'Concert for Lake Superior', for Lake Superior Day, in Marquette MI on July 15, 2007. The second 'Concert for Lake Superior' took place on October 18, 2009, also featuring the Boreal Chamber Symphony in Marquette, Michigan. Craig Randal Johnson recently collaborated with Finnish baritone Esa Ruuttunen, performing recitals in Michigan as part of the 2011 Pine Mountain Music Festival, in Finland (2010), and at Finn Grand Fest 2010 in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada.
Craig Randal Johnson was engaged for six years in German opera houses and theaters, serving as music director for large-scale Brecht productions of "Caucasian Chalk Circle" and "Schweyk in the Second World War" at the Osnabrück opera, amongst several others. He was Resident Conductor of the Rome Festival Orchestra in Italy for three seasons, conducting symphony concerts and opera in Rome, The Vatican, Anzio, Naples, Syracuse, and several other cities. He conducted 44 children's concerts with the Florida Symphony. Additional conducting appearances have been with the Jacksonville (FL) Symphony, North Star Opera, the Metropolitan Symphony, the College Light Opera Co (MA), as well as the FinnFest 2002 symphony concert in Minneapolis. A conducting student of Otmar Suitner, Bernard Rubenstein, Charles Bruck, and Richard Burgin, Mr. Johnson's theater and concert performances have been favorably reviewed by the Rome Daily American, l'Umanità, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, and others. (See Reviews.)
As Finlandia Foundation "Performer of the Year" in 1999, Craig Randal Johnson played Finnish piano recitals in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, Dallas, New Orleans, Denver, at Finlandia University, Illinois Wesleyan University, the Hartt School in Hartford, at the Canterbury (CT) Finn Hall, and elsewhere. Other recital appearances have included appearances in Hannover as well as in Magdeburg, Hildesheim, and Templin in Germany, the Landmark Series and at Sundin Hall in St. Paul (MN), the University of Iowa Center for New Music, SE Louisiana University, Finnfest 2002 in Minneapolis, Finnfest 1997 in Minot ND, the 'Rock' Church in Helsinki, and the new 'Raahesali' in Raahe, Finland. Recent programs featured works by American composer David Macbride, as part of an Encore Grant from the American Composers Forum. Other composers represented have been Libby Larsen, Judith Shatin, Aarre Merikanto, Erik Bergman, Einojuhani Rautavaara, and Hanns Eisler.
A specialist on the music of the German composer Hanns Eisler, Johnson appeared as a soloist at the Eisler Centenary Gala Performance in New York City (1998). He has performed two evenings with the dramatist Eric Bentley and baritone David Harris on WNYC public radio in New York, presenting Eisler songs and Lieder. He has presented Eisler programs in St. Paul, at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter MN, Madison WI, River Falls WI, Hartford, and Hannover, Germany. Craig Johnson was music director for the Brecht show "For Those Who Come After", which featured songs by Eisler, Wolpe, Milhaud, and Weill (summers 1997 and 1998 in Minneapolis).
Craig Randal Johnson holds degrees from the University of Minnesota (B.A.) and Northwestern University in Evanston, IL (M.M.), and has studied conducting at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Domaine Conducting School, and the Aspen Music School. He was Principal Double Bassist of the Florida Symphony early in his career, and has played double bass with several orchestras in Europe and the USA including the Staatsorchester Braunschweig, Aspen Chamber Symphony and Columbus (OH) Symphony.
Craig Johnson has received three Finlandia Foundation grants to further the performance of Finnish music, as well as two American Composers Forum Performance Incentive Fund grants. He maintains an active private piano and bass studio. Craig lives in Minneapolis with Marjory Black, a French hornist, French horn teacher, and a leading Solfege instructor in the region.
Craig Randal Johnson's CD, "Piano Music from Finland", is available by contacting Craig at 612-378-2381, or tonttucraig@gmail.com.