Graham Johnson (musician)

Graham Johnson OBE (born 10 July 1950) is a British classical pianist and Lieder accompanist.

Johnson was born in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia. His father played the piano and the saxophone. In 1967, Johnson began studies at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), where his teachers included Harry Isaacs and John Streets. Johnson has acknowledged a 1972 live recital by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten as key in directing his musical career ambitions towards being an accompanist. After leaving the RAM in 1972, he continued studies with Gerald Moore and Geoffrey Parsons.

Johnson was the official pianist at Peter Pears's first masterclasses at the Snape Maltings, which brought him into contact with Benjamin Britten. In 1976, he formed The Songmakers' Almanac to explore neglected areas of piano-accompanied vocal music, along with founder singers Felicity Lott, Ann Murray, Anthony Rolfe Johnson and Richard Jackson. The Songmakers' Almanac has given over 200 programmes throughout its history and has recorded commercially for such labels as Hyperion Records.

Johnson has a long-standing artistic relationship with the Wigmore Hall, as an accompanist and in programming concert series. He devised and accompanied concerts in the hall's re-opening series in 1992, and in its centenary celebrations in 2001. He has been a member of the jury for the Wigmore Hall Song Competition since its inception.

...
Wikipedia