Conductor and Musical Director
The Marriage of Figaro/ North Star Opera
Minneapolis Star and Tribune21. January 1986/ Minneapolis:
"For his part, Johnson proved to be a reliable, at times canny Mozart conductor. While providing the harpsichord continuo during the recitatives, he drew together Mozart's great finals with undeniable logic and good humor, despite the dry tone of the string players." (Michael Anthony)
The Marriage of Figaro/ North Star Opera
St. Paul Pioneer Press Dispatch20. January 1986/ St. Paul:
"[Johnson] found himself in charge of an orchestra that included some 30 of the Twin Cities' most able freelance musicians. To his credit, he did not squander the opportunity; he drew from them a bright, effervescent performance on the evening I attended." (Roy Close)
Brecht/ Eisler/ Schweyk in the Second World War/ Osnabrück, Germany
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung14. February 1983/ Osnabrück, Germany
"Hanns Eislers teils 'pointillistisch' klar zeichnende, teils harmlos-optimistische, teils holzschnitthaft eindringliche, teils Zirkus-Stimmung parodierende Musik wurde von Craig Johnson griffig für eine vierköpfige Combo . . . eingerichtet. Sie tat ihre musicaliserende Wirkung in allen Wechselfällen. Stürmischer Schlußbeifall für die höchst respektable Producktion." (Manfred Böhmer)
"Hanns Eisler's clear, pointalistic, at times harmlessly optimistic, sometimes cuttingly urgent and circus-like music was accessibly arranged by Craig Johnson for four piece combo. The arrangement worked well on all fronts. Stormy applause for the highly respectable production."
Brecht/ Dessau: Caucasian Chalk Circle/ Osnabrück, Germany
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung17. November 1981/ Osnabrück
"Unter Leitung und Mitwirkung von Craig Johnson übermitteln die Instrumentalisten . . . Paul Dessaus melismenreiche, griffige, zeichnerisch treffsichere Musik brillant."
The Magic Flute Overture/ Rome, Italy
l'UmanitàJuly 1982/ Rome, Italy
"L'incisiva direzione di Johnson ha riportato con dovizia di particolari timbirci tutte le sfumature della partitura con un a resa assolutamente ineccepibile."
Johnson's incisive conducting brought forth in abundance the particular timbre of all the nuances of the score, in an absolutely convincing rendering.
The Marriage of Figaro/ Rome, Italy
The Daily American24. July 1982/ Rome, Italy
"Maestro Johnson is to be congratulated for giving Rome a highly acceptable performance which we rarely get a chance to hear."
Princess Ida/ Falmouth, Massachusetts
Cape Cod Times20. July 1983/ Falmouth MA
"Music Director Craig Johnson deserves praise for an orchestra whose technical command of the score never flags. It's a pleasure to hear an instrumental ensemble whose string players, five strong, are able to hold their own against the winds whose numbers are nearly double theirs."
Finnish Independence Day Celebration Concert/ Minneapolis
The Finnish American Reporter in February 1998December 6, 1997/ Minneapolis MN
"Central to the success of the evening was a forty-one piece orchestra created and conducted by Craig Johnson. . ."