Madison, WI 53703
USA
Richard D. Johnson was introduced to the piano at the age of five by his father, a gospel pianist from Baltimore, MD. After receiving a scholarship and graduating from the Berklee School of Music in just two years, Richard entered the Boston Conservatory where he earned a Master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy. He then went on to receive an Artist Performance Diploma at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at New England Conservatory under the direction of the influential Ron Carter.
Richard was the pianist for the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra from 2000-2003. He also performed as part of the Russell Malone Quartet, Delfeayo Marsalis Quintet & The Bobby Watson Quartet. After completing his tenure with those groups, Richard started the Reach Afar program for young people ages of 7-17, educating them about elements of jazz in hip-hop.
Richard has traveled extensively, sharing the gift of jazz to audiences around the world. As a representative of the United States through the U.S. State Department, Richard was named United States Musical Ambassador. During that time, he did six state department tours that took him to Central and South America, Africa, & The Middle East affording him the opportunity to perform in more than 76 countries. Richard has also accompanied such jazz icons as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Arturo Sandoval.
Richard is an accomplished composer and arranger with four musical releases as a leader. His latest co- lead project with Gregory Generet, entitled 2 of A Kind, features a stellar cast jazz ensemble consisting of Freddie Hendrix on trumpet, Jon Beshay on tenor saxophone, Barry Stephenson on Bass, & Henry Conerway on drums.
Currently, Richard is one of the two full-time Jazz professors at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, MD and is the piano instructor for the Ravinia Jazz Program in Chicago.
