Beverley Johnston

Beverley Johnston

Beverley (Jean) Johnston. Percussionist, b Lachine, Que, 4 Jun 1957; B MUS music education (Toronto) 1980. She began piano studies at 7 and at 13 took up percussion. She studied privately with Lanny Levine at Montreal's Vanier College 1974-6 and with Russell Hartenberger of Nexus at the University of Toronto, where she became the first female percussionist to graduate. Johnston, who performs on the marimba and a wide variety of percussion instruments, began her professional career in 1979, beginning an association with NMC, and the National Ballet of Canada orchestra. In 1980 she helped found the Toronto Percussion Ensemble and in 1983 became the percussionist of ARRAY with which she has premiered many works written for the ensemble and for her. She has also performed in the COC orchestra beginning in 1986. Her repertoire includes transcriptions of baroque and classical music, concertos, ragtime and barbershop pieces, and a wide range of music embracing the various styles of contemporary composers. Those from whom Johnston has commissioned works include Harry Freedman, Peter Hatch, David Jaeger, Gary Kulesha, Larysa Kuzmenko, Michael Matthews, and Ann Southam. Her solo appearances include those with the Canadian Chamber Ensemble, the Festival of the Sound, the Guelph Spring Festival, the International Percussive Arts Society, the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Music Inter Alia, NMC, and the Washington Music Ensemble. She was a featured performer at Expo 90 in Osaka, Japan. Johnston has been broadcast on the CBC. In 2009 Johnston was named an ambassador of the Canadian Music Centre in recognition of her contribution to the Canadian new music community.

Discography

Chan The Everlasting Voices. Landry soprano, Toronto Percussion Ens. 1988. Centrediscs CMC-CD-3288

Hand Soliloquy (Riseling clarinet) - Gougeon Prophétie. Dorenfeld soprano. 1984. RCI 569

Impact: Piché - Louie (Campbell clarinet) - Kulesha - Arcuri. 1986. Centrediscs CMC-2786

Kucharzyk Beating. 1988. Artifact ART-002 (CD)

Marimbach: Bach. 1987. CBC Musica Viva MVCD-1033 (CD)