David Johnson

From Wind Repertory Project
David Johnson

Biography

David Johnson (1 October 1948 – 7 June 2020, Port Angeles, Wash.) was an American composer and percussionist.

David played with a wide range of ensembles including PARTCH, XTET, the New Century Players, the Kim Richmond Jazz Orchestra, the Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, Dark Wing, Roger Williams, the Lian Ensemble and the Nate La Pointe Band. He was a member of the historic Blackearth Percussion Group and has worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, John Zorn, Pierre Boulez, Wadada Leo Smith, Yusef Lateef, Stuart Copeland, Green Day, Dave Brubeck, and the California Ear Unit among others. He also collaborated with a diverse group of composers from Pierre Boulez, Peter Maxwell Davies and John Zorn to Steve Reich, Lou Harrison and Vinny Golia.

David studied with Ed Grier, John Bergamo, Shankar Gosh, Zakir Hussein, Dave Friedman, William Kraft and Charlie Shoemake. He was on the faculty of the California Institute of the Arts from 1991 until his death and taught at the Academy of Creative Education, a summer youth arts program in Los Angeles. He had performed and given clinics at numerous universities, colleges and other venues throughout the United States. He occasionally worked in the movie industry on Local 47 recording sessions and can be heard on approximately 40 movies including, Spider Man Three and Matrix.


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