Wayne Johnson - Musical Biography

Wayne Johnson was born and raised in Kingsport, Tennessee. After nearly 40 years of living and working in Seattle, Washington, he and his wife, Claire, moved back to Kingsport from the Pacific Northwest in 2014 to be able to retire closer to family and friends and to enjoy the mountains and gracious southern living. The Johnsons have two sons, Wes and Eric.
 
As a pianist, Wayne has performed throughout the United States and abroad. In the early 1970’s he was a concert pianist for the U.S. Army and in recent years he has performed regularly as recitalist, accompanist, and lecturer in numerous arts events, university concerts, and radio broadcasts. An Emeritus Professor of Music, Dr. Johnson served as chair of keyboard studies and taught piano, keyboard literature, and music history at Seattle Pacific University from 1977 to 2014. Wayne holds both the Master’s and Doctor of Music Arts Degrees in Piano Performance from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
 
In 1992, Dr. Johnson recorded a compact disc of piano works of composer Alan Hovhaness for Crystal Records. He also premiered several of that composer’s works at regional and national venues. In 2002, he recorded a second CD entitled “Salon Classics from the Golden Age of the Piano,” a recording which features neglected gems from the Romantic era in music.