Carter
Johnson

Pianist

ABOUT

Praised for his interpretive depth and artistic integrity, twenty-one-year-old Carter Johnson is establishing a reputation as one of Canada’s most promising young pianists.

Johnson’s extensive competition experience includes being selected to compete in the Shenzhen International Piano Concerto Competition (Guangdong, China), the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (South Carolina, USA), and the Julia Crane International Piano Competition (New York, USA), where he won second prize at the age of 16. He has also been selected to compete in the International J.S. Bach competition in Leipzig in July 2018. Johnson’s other competition prize winnings include Second Place (along with the Baroque and chamber music prizes) in the CFMTA National Piano Competition (Regina) at age 14, the award for the best interpretation of the imposed work at the OSM Manulife Competition (Montréal), third prize in the Shean Piano Competition (Edmonton), and many awards at Performing Arts B.C., including First Prize in all four Canadian divisions. His extensive concerto repertoire ranges from Bach to Prokofiev, and he has performed with several prestigious orchestras including the Victoria Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of Northern New York.

“”

As I watched him move to the pulse of the orchestra around him, it felt akin to witnessing a rare manifestation of the young Van Cliburn. […] The only response I have to this experience is, “I want more.”

Somi Chuhon

In addition to an ARCT in Piano Performance with Distinction, Johnson also holds an ARCT in Piano Pedagogy, for which he won the national gold medal for the highest mark in Canada at the age of 18.

He began piano at age five with Shelley Roberts, with whom he studied for twelve years, and he now studies piano performance with Mark Anderson at the University of British Columbia, where he is in his fourth year. During his time at UBC, he has established himself as one of the top collaborative pianists in the Vancouver area, also working as a vocal coach with the UBC Opera Department. His secondary instruments are the oboe, voice, and harpsichord, the latter two of which he has studied at UBC. In addition to his musical career, Johnson is an accomplished actor and speaker: he holds his ATCL with Distinction in Speech and Drama from Trinity College London and has won many awards for his performances of Shakespeare. He enjoys cooking and spending time with his wife and soon-to-arrive baby boy.