Carter Johnson
piano
Praised for his interpretive sensitivity, imaginative programming, and ability to make classical music speak to all kinds of audiences, Canadian pianist Carter Johnson is quickly establishing a reputation as one of his generation’s most gifted and multi-faceted pianists. His most recent competition victories include first prizes in international competitions such as the 2023 Concours « Étoiles du piano », the 2021 International Competition of Polish Music, the 2020 Valsesia International Competition and the 2023 Weatherford College International Competition, and he was also recently awarded the Most Promising Pianist not Proceeding to the Final in the 2023 Sydney International Piano Competition. In 2018, Johnson won the top prize in two of Canada’s most important competitions, garnering both the grand prize in the OSM Competition and the first prize in the CMC Stepping Stone competition. Other competition experiences include the Santander International Competition, the Shenzhen International Concerto Competition, the Horowitz International Competition Kyiv-Geneva, the Dublin International Competition, and the Hilton Head International Competition.
Johnson has performed with orchestras including the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Métropolitain, the Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, the Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Americas, and his playing has been broadcasted by CBC Radio and medici.tv. Venues in which he has performed concertos or solo recitals include the Maison Symphonique, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, the Music Shed at Norfolk, the Shenzhen Concert Hall, and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall.
Equally at home in the worlds of solo, concerto, chamber, and vocal music, Johnson has a particular interest in bringing light to lesser-explored parts of the repertory, most recently championing a collection of works by nearly-forgotten Polish composers. In addition to the music of J.S. Bach (where he feels most at home), he is a special advocate for the music of composers such as Schumann, Fauré, Ives, Hindemith, Poulenc, Shostakovich, and Messiaen. His secondary instrument work has included studies in oboe, voice, and harpsichord. An avid connoisseur of art song, he also has experience as a vocal coach and is enthusiastic about languages.
