Jeri Lynne Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeri Lynne Johnson
Background information
Occupation(s)	conductor

Jeri Lynne Johnson is an amazing African-American conductor. She leads and founded the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra. This is a professional music group in Philadelphia.

Growing Up and Learning

Jeri Lynne Johnson started playing piano when she was just four years old. When she was seven, she heard a Beethoven Symphony. This made her want to create big, orchestral music.

She lived in many places and finished high school in Scottsdale, Arizona. Even though she didn't study music in school, she had private piano teachers. In 1993, she went to Wellesley College. There, she earned a degree in music and religion. She was inspired by famous women who also went there, like Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright. Later, she earned a master's degree from the University of Chicago. This degree was in music history and theory.

Early Successes

In 1998, Johnson won a scholarship to the Aspen Music Festival. From 2000 to 2004, she was an assistant conductor. She worked with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.

In 2005, she won the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship. This made her the first African-American woman to win an international award for conducting. After this, she conducted many orchestras around the world. These included the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Chicago Sinfonietta. She also worked with the Bournemouth Symphony in England. Important mentors like Simon Rattle and Marin Alsop helped her a lot.

Her Career

Johnson founded the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra in 2008. She is its Artistic Director. Her orchestra has received many grants. These include money from the National Endowment for the Arts. It is the only group in the U.S. to get three grants from the Knight Foundation Arts Challenge. She also works as a cover conductor for the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.

Her Music Style

Johnson conducts many different types of music. She has performed works by famous classical composers. She has also worked with pop artists. These include Jay Z, Alicia Keys, and The Roots.

Composing Music

Besides conducting, Johnson also writes music. She has created many multimedia pieces. She performed her own works at the See Hear! concert series. This was held at the Kimmel Center.

Awards and Recognition

Johnson has received many awards for her work. In 2009, she earned a Leeway Transformation Award. In 2010, she was honored in Arts and Culture for The Power Shift. She was also named a Philly 360 Creative Ambassador. In 2011, the Philadelphia Business Journal called her a Woman of Distinction.

Her achievements have been featured on TV shows. These include 20/20 and the NBC Today show. She also appeared on The Tavis Smiley Show on NPR.