About
“For me, the live concert is easily the most rewarding part of what I do. A special passion of mine is talking with audiences to offer additional ways of inviting them into the music, whether it is something about the composer, the music’s construction, or something personal to me. I believe that this storytelling approach—combined with performances of the highest quality—is where the future of classical music lies.”
Carter Johnson only ever remembers wanting to become a concert pianist since his grandmother encouraged him toward the instrument when he was 5. Growing up on Vancouver Island, he studied with Shelley Roberts for 12 years before attending the University of British Columbia, where he completed a bachelor’s under Mark Anderson. He moved to the United States in 2019 to study with Joseph Kalichstein and Matti Raekallio at The Juilliard School (master’s) and has spent the last four years in New Haven, living with his wife and two children while attending the Yale School of Music under the tutelage of Wei-Yi Yang (master’s and now doctorate studies).
The silver medalist of the 2024 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, he has performed with the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain, Utah Symphony, Poznań Philharmonic Orchestra, Victoria Symphony Orchestra, and Orchestra of the Americas, and his playing has been broadcasted by CBC Radio and medici.tv. Venue highlights include the Maison Symphonique, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Kaufmann Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y, Shenzhen Concert Hall, Salle Bourgie, and Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall.
Carter has a particular interest in bringing lig ht to lesser-explored parts of the repertory, most recently championing a collection of works by nearly forgotten Polish composers. He’s an experienced vocal coach, is enthusiastic about languages, and has also studied oboe, voice, and harpsichord. Trained in elocution as a teenager, he holds an ATCL with distinction in speech and drama from Trinity College London, which serves him well in recital: he loves speaking with audiences to bring them further into the music and its story. He also finds great inspiration outside of classical music—in his family, film, nature, food, and non-classical artists like Björk and Brian Eno, who he says help him to think outside the box.