Biography
"Johnston has already forged a place as one of the country's most promising and distinctive cellists." (The Strad)
Guy Johnston has become a fast-rising star on the international concert stage after making an extraordinary debut in London at the BBC Proms where he played the Elgar Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin.
Since then, Johnston has enjoyed successes with the London Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the Philharmonia, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchester der Hessischer Rundfunk, Musikkollegium Winterthur, St.Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Gavle Symphony, Lithuanian National Philharmonic and has undertaken tours of Japan with the Katsushika Philharmonic, Senri Philharmonic, and Habiki Strings plus numerous recital engagements in Tokyo, Osaka, Hakone, Kumomoto, Otsu, Kawaguchi and Fukuoka. Conductors he works closely with include Yan Pascal Tortelier, Daniele Gatti, Leonard Slatkin, Robin Ticciati and Alan Burbayev.
Upcoming Highlights
Recent and forthcoming highlights include a tour of Japan with the Osaka Philharmonic and the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra/Ottaka (Elgar Cello Concerto), Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic/Robin Ticciati, Elgar Cello Concerto wth the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Michael Seal, Britten Symphony for Cello and Orchestra with Northern Sinfonia/Robin Ticciati, Elgar Cello Concerto with Philharmonia Orchestra/Stephen Cleobury, Brahms Double Concerto with Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Juraj Valcuha, Walton Cello Concerto with Royal Philharmonic/PaulDaniel at Cadogan Hall, Elgar Cello Concerto and Matthews' COncerto in Azzurro with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales/van Steen, and Shostakovich Cello Concerto no.1 with the City of Birmingham Youth Orchestra/Martyn Brabbins. In 2009, Guy will also embark on two UK tours with the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Dmitriev and Manchester Camerata.
Future recitals include the BBC Proms, Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, Cadogan Hall, Moritzburg Festival, Kings College Cambridge, Petworth Festival and Schloss Elmau and he collaborates with Kathy Stott, Charles Owen, Huw Watkins, Tom Poster and Finghin Collins. He is a founder member of the Aronowitz Ensemble who have recently been invited onto the prestigious BBC New Generation Artists Series.
Awards
Born in 1981, Johnston began cello lessons at the age of five. He studied with Steven Doane at the Eastman College of Music in Rochester, New York and subsequently continued his studies with Steven Isserlis at IMS Prussia Cove and Ralph Kirshbaum in the UK. Awards include winner for the BRIT award for Best British Newcomer in 2002 (for the recording of Karl Jenkins' Armed Man - Mass of Peace, Virgin Classics), BBC's Young Musician of the Year in 2000 as well as Shell/LSO Gerald Macdonald Prize, Musicians Benevolent Fund Award and Suggia Gift. He is also regularly heard on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM.