Elissa Johnston
Soprano
Recently cited by the Chicago Tribune for the "exquisite beauty, sensitivity and precision" of her singing, soprano Elissa Johnston enjoys performing repertoire ranging from Bach, Handel and Mozart to Messiaen, Carter, Ung and Lachenmann. Johnston recently performed with the Long Beach Symphony in Mozart's Requiem under conductor Robert Istad, with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Stravinsky's Les Noces, and in recital with Le Salon de Musiques in songs of Samuel Barber. She was also part of the new Peter Sellars staging of the Lagrime di San Pietro by Orlando di Lasso with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. She also sang Barber's Knoxville, Summer of 1915 with Orchestra Santa Monica under conductor Allen Gross.
Johnston returned to the chamber music series Le Salon de la Musiques to sing Strauss' Four Last Songs with pianist Robert Thies, and appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in performances of Handel's Alexander's Feast, under conductor Grant Gershon. Last summer she performed in the West Coast premiere of Elliott Carter's What Are Years under conductor Jeff von der Schmidt at Southwest Chamber Music's L.A. International New Music Festival at Walt Disney Hall's REDCAT theater. With Southwest Chamber Music, she has also performed the world premiere of Some Things Do Not Move by Ann LeBaron, Unsuk Chin's Akrostichon Wortspiel, Ravel's Trois Poemes de St phane Mallarm , as well as the world premiere of Chinary Ung's Aura, also under conductor Jeff von der Schmidt.
Johnston has sung Messiaen's epic song cycle Harawi with pianist Vicki Ray at both Jacaranda Music and Pianospheres, and will return to Pianospheres with Ray this season for the world premiere of Vicki Ray's song cycle "The Elements." Johnston has recorded Chinary Ung's Aura with Southwest Chamber Music and toured with the ensemble in Vietnam and Cambodia,and can be heard on dozens of film soundtracks. She is featured in Danny Elfman's Serenada Schizophrana, which was released on the Sony Classical label.
Johnston returned to the chamber music series Le Salon de la Musiques to sing Strauss' Four Last Songs with pianist Robert Thies, and appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in performances of Handel's Alexander's Feast, under conductor Grant Gershon. Last summer she performed in the West Coast premiere of Elliott Carter's What Are Years under conductor Jeff von der Schmidt at Southwest Chamber Music's L.A. International New Music Festival at Walt Disney Hall's REDCAT theater. With Southwest Chamber Music, she has also performed the world premiere of Some Things Do Not Move by Ann LeBaron, Unsuk Chin's Akrostichon Wortspiel, Ravel's Trois Poemes de St phane Mallarm , as well as the world premiere of Chinary Ung's Aura, also under conductor Jeff von der Schmidt.
Johnston has sung Messiaen's epic song cycle Harawi with pianist Vicki Ray at both Jacaranda Music and Pianospheres, and will return to Pianospheres with Ray this season for the world premiere of Vicki Ray's song cycle "The Elements." Johnston has recorded Chinary Ung's Aura with Southwest Chamber Music and toured with the ensemble in Vietnam and Cambodia,and can be heard on dozens of film soundtracks. She is featured in Danny Elfman's Serenada Schizophrana, which was released on the Sony Classical label.