Biography
GUY JOHNSTON
"Johnston has already forged a place as one of the country's most promising and distinctive cellists."
The Strad
“Mr. Johnston's burnished and varied sound...”
The New York Times
Guy Johnston is one of the leading British cellists of his generation. Johnston has given important debuts including at the First Night of the BBC Proms playing the Elgar Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra/Slatkin, the Brahms Double Concerto in the Philharmonie with the DSO Berlin/Valchua, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations with the St. Petersburg State Capella Orchestra/Dmitriev in St. Petersburg, Elgar with the Osaka Philharmonic/Otaka in Tokyo, and the Schumann Concerto in the Barbican Centre with the English Chamber Orchstra/Tilbrook. Other collaborations in the UK have included Don Quixote with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain/Tortelier, Walton with the BBC Philharmonic/Tortelier, Dvorak with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Seal, Britten’s Cello Symphony with the Northern Sinfonia/Ticiatti, and Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 2 with the RTE National Orchestra/Altschuler in Dublin.
Born into a musical family tradition, Johnston joined his brothers in the world-renowned choir of King's College, Cambridge, where he recorded the famous carol Once in Royal David's City, under Stephen Cleobury. He went on to achieve early recognition through the BBC Young Musician of the Year title, the Guilhermina Suggia Gift, The Shell London Symphony Orchestra Gerald MacDonald Award, and received a Brit Award at the Royal Albert Hall. His mentors have included Steven Doane, Ralph Kirshbaum, Bernard Greenhouse, Steven Isserlis and David Waterman at IMS Prussia Cove.
A founding member of the Aronowitz Ensemble, Johnston is an enthusiastic chamber musician and has enjoyed appearances abroad at the Louvre in Paris, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, at the Delft, Moritzburg, Spoleto, and Gaia Festivals as well as Cheltenham, Bath, and City of London Festivals at home with numerous musicians including Janine Janssen, Lawrence Power, Anthony Marwood, Michael Collins, and the Belcea, Endellion and Navarra String Quartets.
This season sees Johnston working on an education project with the Wigmore Hall, where he performs regularly, and as Principal Guest Cello of the Australian Chamber Orchestra on tour with Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony on period instruments followed by performances at the Huntington Chamber Music Festival. Future performances include the Elgar with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Cadogan Hall, Tavener Popule Meus with the Britten Sinfonia/Stephen Cleobury in King's College Chapel, Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the Northern Sinfonia at the Sage, Gateshead, as well as a tour to Japan.
Johnston is an inspiring leader of young musicians which was reflected in his invitation to meet Her Majesty the Queen this year at a reception at Buckingham Palace dedicated to young people in the performing arts. Johnston is a patron of several charities which develop music education with schoolchildren and young people whilst enjoying a full and versatile career as an international soloist, chamber musician, and guest principal. He is also a Professor of Cello at London's Royal Academy of Music.
Johnston's debut recital CD on Orchid Classics has been released to widespread critical acclaim. The disc includes works by Bridge, Britten, and a new work by Mark Anthony Turnage with pianist, Kathryn Stott. Other releases include concertos by David Matthews and Edward Gregson for Chandos with the BBC Philharmonic/Gamba and BBC Concert Orchestra/Tovey. Future recording plans include a recital CD with pianist, Melvyn Tan, and a concerto disc with the English Chamber Orchestra.
Johnston plays on a 1714 David Tecchler cello. It is currently made available to him by the Guy Johnston Cello Trust, which is being established by Nigel Brown and the Stradivari Trust to raise the funds needed to secure the instrument.
“Guy Johnston gave an absolutely beautiful account of Elgar’s Cello Concerto, well paced and justly proportioned... From Johnston the quieter moments were amazingly quiet and very ‘inward’. By being less demonstrative, he drew his listeners into his confidence.”
Tully Potter, Classical Source