Beverley Johnston

"...a whiz bang player with the soul of a poet... one of the most original and creative artists of our day." -Chronicle-Herald (Halifax) Beverley Johnston is internationally recognized for her virtuosic and dynamic performances on a wide range of percussion instruments. Her exciting performances have been distinguished as unconventional, effectively combining classical transcriptions, contemporary music, and a touch of theatre; she is also a leader in commissioning and premiering new works for percussion. Her performances and recordings have been broadcast on radio networks all over the world; her six solo CDs are Woman Runs with Wolves (2013, Centrediscs); Ming (2009, Centrediscs); Garden of Delights (2004, independent release); Alternate Currents (1992, Centrediscs); Marimbach (1989, CBC Records Musica Viva); and Impact (1987, Centrediscs, JUNO nominee). She can also be heard as soloist or chamber musician on numerous other recordings. Beverley has been a guest performer at several marimba/percussion festivals recently including the International Katarzyna Mycka Marimba Academy (2013) in Luxembourg, Shenyang International Percussion festival (2010) in China, The International Marimba Festival and Conference in Minneapolis, USA (2010), The Zeltsman Marimba Festival (2005, 2009, 2013) and Nebojsa Zivkovic’s International Marimba Academy in Germany (2008). She has been an inspiration to many percussion students all over the world because of her unique expression as a percussionist. She is constantly expanding the boundaries of what is possible as a performing artist. In 2009 she was given the distinction of becoming an Ambassador of the Canadian Music Centre in honour of her exemplary commitment to the performance of the music of Canadian composers. Beverley Johnston currently teaches at the University of Toronto and lives in rural Ontario with her husband, composer Christos Hatzis.