Lura Johnson, Pianist

Workshop with LEON FLEISHER in CARNEGIE HALL

Lura Johnson was one of four pianists selected to participate in a Carnegie Hall Professional Training Workshop led by legendary pianist Leon Fleisher. Leon Fleisher guided four young pianists through Beethoven piano sonatas in this two-part workshop. From October 18 to 23, 2007 Fleisher worked one-on-one at Carnegie Hall with each pianist; this part of the workshop included two public masterclasses in Weill Recital Hall on October 22 and 23. In January, Fleisher and the four pianists returned to Carnegie Hall; the workshop culminated in a performance that took place in Weill Recital Hall on January 19, 2008.

MARYLAND STATE MUSIC TEACHER’S ASSOCIATION

Lura Johnson was a featured presenter at the 50th Anniversary Convention of the MSMTA. Her lecture-recital exploring two Beethoven Piano Sonatas, Opus 22 and Opus 53 “Waldstein,” included interactive discussions of stylistic differences between Beethoven’s early and middle periods and a performance of both sonatas.

PERFORMANCE on MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION

Lura was featured on the Maryland Public Television show MPT Artworks This Week which showcases Maryland artists. The program included performance of several works and an interview with show host Rhea Feikin.

THE BRAHMS VIOLIN SONATAS
Jonathan CARNEY, violin
Lura JOHNSON, piano

Lura and Baltimore Symphony concertmaster Jonathan Carney presented the complete Brahms Violin Sonatas at Music in the Great Hall as their season opener on Sunday afternoon, September 16, 2007 at 5 pm.

SCHUMANN PIANO CONCERTO in OHIO

In November, Lura returned to her hometown in Ohio to perform the Schumann Piano Concerto with the Lorain County Civic Orchestra under the baton of music director Robert Beckstrom. The concert took place on Sunday November 18 at the Stocker Arts Center (which, ironically, was the site of Lura’s concerto debut at age 14 playing Beethoven 1st Concerto.)

Ken GOLDSTEIN, violin
Ilya FINKELSHTEYN, ‘cello
Lura JOHNSON, piano

Spotlight UB: The BSO Musicians Series is an exciting new series of four full-length concerts in its second full season. The series was created in conjunction with the University of Baltimore and the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Each performance features members of the BSO and visiting guest artists. On Mar 12, the trio appeared in a performance featuring Beethoven Piano Trio in C Minor and Ives Piano Trio. Noah Chaves, BSO violist, joined the Trio for Dvorak’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major. Read a review of this concert on the Reviews page.

FESTIVAL de MUSIQUE AMERICAINE
with Contemporary Music Forum and Ensemble Aleph of Paris

The festival took place May 25-May 26 at Theatre Dunois, in Paris’ 13th arrondissement and included works by Libby Larsen, Bill Bolcom, Elliott Carter, Steve Reich, Morton Feldman, Roger Reynolds, John Cage, Charles Ives, George Antheil, Virgil Thomson, Ned Rorem, George Crumb as well as Contemporary Music Forum composers Anthony Villa, Douglas Boyce, and Jeffrey Mumford. Concerts were well attended and well received, and CMF looks forward to hosting Ensemble Aleph for a series of concerts in Washington DC in Spring of 2008.
Click here to view video clips of the concerts

THE JENNINGS-JOHNSON DUO in BIRMINGHAM, AL

Christina Jennings and Lura Johnson joined up in June in Birmingham, Ala. for a sold out program at the Library Theatre which included several pieces from their recent CD, The Jennings-Johnson Duo, as well as Franck Sonata in A Major, and works by Rochberg and Varèse. A reviewer for the Birmingham News wrote, “…The duo’s dedication to this 1982 work [Rochberg, Between Two Worlds] proved true and palpable as they negotiated deftly through its atmospheric sonorities and thorny dissonances… ” “…It was Johnson’s dynamic and confident playing that drove this piece [Franck A Major Sonata]. The pianist’s expressive touch, evident all evening, swelled to an expansive high in the finale.”