Guy Johnston
Encyclopedia
Guy Johnston is a British cellist
and the winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year
award in 2000. He has subsequently enjoyed a successful international career as a soloist and chamber musician.
award in 2000 where he broke a string in the concert broadcast of his winning Shostakovich No. 1 concerto
. In the following year he made his concerto debut at The BBC Proms forming the Elgar Cello concerto with Leonard Slatkin
and the BBC Symphony Orchestra
.
Johnston has since performed concertos with leading British Orchestras including the London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the Philharmonia, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Orchestra of Wales and the Northern Sinfonia, and in Europe, the Middle and Far East with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchester der Hessischer Rundfunk and Musikkollegium Winterthur.
Johnston's performances and recordings are regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.
He is a member of the Aronowitz Ensemble, which has recently been invited into the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, guaranteeing regular feature presentations on BBC Radio 3
and other media over a two year period.
His cello is a rare 1820 instrument by Antonio Pellizon (or Pelizon) of Gorizia
, which was bought for him anonymously.
' Concerto in Azzurro with Rumon Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra released on the Chandos label in 2009. The recording was nominated for a Gramophone Award
in the Contemporary Music category.
Johnston released his debut recital disc 'Milo' in May 2010 on the Orchid label with the pianist Kathryn Stott
. The disc comprises British 20th century music including the Cello Sonatas by Benjamin Britten
and Frank Bridge
and works 'Sleep On' and 'Milo' by Mark-Anthony Turnage
. Turnage wrote the latter for the christening of his son, Milo. Johnston premiered the work at Milo's christening and is his godfather.
Johnston was awarded a Classical BRIT Award for Young British Classical Performer in 2001.
A chorister at King's College, Cambridge
, he attended Chetham's School of Music
in Manchester
from the age of 13, and then Eastman School of Music
, Rochester, New York
.
His brother is the violinist Magnus Johnston and his sister is Izzy Johnston, violinist of string quartet eScala
. Johnston's oldest brother Rupert who played the French Horn, was brain damaged following a car accident in 1997.
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and the winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year
BBC Young Musician of the Year
The BBC Young Musician of the Year is a televised national music competition. It is broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Four biennially, despite the name, and hosted by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
award in 2000. He has subsequently enjoyed a successful international career as a soloist and chamber musician.
Professional life
Johnston came to prominence after winning the BBC Young Musician of the YearBBC Young Musician of the Year
The BBC Young Musician of the Year is a televised national music competition. It is broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Four biennially, despite the name, and hosted by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
award in 2000 where he broke a string in the concert broadcast of his winning Shostakovich No. 1 concerto
Cello Concerto No. 1 (Shostakovich)
The Cello Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major, Opus 107, was composed in 1959 by Dmitri Shostakovich. He wrote the work for his friend Mstislav Rostropovich, who committed it to memory in four days and gave the premiere on October 4, 1959, with Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting the Leningrad Philharmonic...
. In the following year he made his concerto debut at The BBC Proms forming the Elgar Cello concerto with Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Slatkin
Leonard Edward Slatkin is an American conductor and composer.-Early life and education:Slatkin was born in Los Angeles to a musical family that came from areas of the Russian Empire now in Ukraine. His father Felix Slatkin was the violinist, conductor and founder of the Hollywood String Quartet,...
and the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
.
Johnston has since performed concertos with leading British Orchestras including the London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the Philharmonia, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Orchestra of Wales and the Northern Sinfonia, and in Europe, the Middle and Far East with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, St Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchester der Hessischer Rundfunk and Musikkollegium Winterthur.
Johnston's performances and recordings are regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.
He is a member of the Aronowitz Ensemble, which has recently been invited into the BBC New Generation Artists Scheme, guaranteeing regular feature presentations on BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
and other media over a two year period.
His cello is a rare 1820 instrument by Antonio Pellizon (or Pelizon) of Gorizia
Gorizia
Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...
, which was bought for him anonymously.
Recording
Johnston recorded David MatthewsDavid Matthews
David Matthews may refer to:* Dave Matthews , singer/guitarist of the Dave Matthews Band* David Matthews , MP for Swansea East 1919–1922* David Matthews , American bi-racial author...
' Concerto in Azzurro with Rumon Gamba and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra released on the Chandos label in 2009. The recording was nominated for a Gramophone Award
Gramophone Award
The Gramophone Awards are one of the most significant honours bestowed on recordings in the classical record industry, often referred to as the Oscars for classical music. The winners are selected annually by critics for the Gramophone magazine and various members of the industry, including...
in the Contemporary Music category.
Johnston released his debut recital disc 'Milo' in May 2010 on the Orchid label with the pianist Kathryn Stott
Kathryn Stott
Kathryn Stott is a British classical pianist who performs as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. Her specialities include the English and French classical repertoire, contemporary classical music and the tango...
. The disc comprises British 20th century music including the Cello Sonatas by Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
and Frank Bridge
Frank Bridge
Frank Bridge was an English composer and violist.-Life:Bridge was born in Brighton and studied at the Royal College of Music in London from 1899 to 1903 under Charles Villiers Stanford and others...
and works 'Sleep On' and 'Milo' by Mark-Anthony Turnage
Mark-Anthony Turnage
Mark-Anthony Turnage is a prolific English composer of classical music. His initial musical studies were with Oliver Knussen, John Lambert, and later with Gunther Schuller...
. Turnage wrote the latter for the christening of his son, Milo. Johnston premiered the work at Milo's christening and is his godfather.
Johnston was awarded a Classical BRIT Award for Young British Classical Performer in 2001.
Personal life
Johnston was born on 7 May 1981 into a musical family. He grew up in Harpenden, near St Albans, Hertfordshire where his parents run a music school.A chorister at King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, he attended Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music
Chetham's School of Music , familiarly known as "Chets", is a specialist independent co-educational music school, situated in Manchester city centre, in North West England. It was established in 1969, incorporating Chetham's Hospital School, founded as a charity school by Humphrey Chetham in 1653...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
from the age of 13, and then Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
, Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
.
His brother is the violinist Magnus Johnston and his sister is Izzy Johnston, violinist of string quartet eScala
Escala
Escala is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.-References:*...
. Johnston's oldest brother Rupert who played the French Horn, was brain damaged following a car accident in 1997.
External links
- Profile at BBC Young Musician of the YearBBC Young Musician of the YearThe BBC Young Musician of the Year is a televised national music competition. It is broadcast on BBC Two and BBC Four biennially, despite the name, and hosted by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
- Interview with Guardian