Jason Johnston, D.M.A.

Jason Michael Johnston joined the University of Idaho faculty in 2015. He is currently Assistant Professor of Horn at the Lionel Hampton School of Music. He received his D.M.A. degree (Doctor of Musical Arts) in Horn Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado. His duties include teaching applied horn lessons, directing the University of Idaho Concert Band, directing the Vandal Horn Choir, teaching Brass Techniques, and coaching several chamber ensembles. Johnston founded both the Palouse Horn Club and the Palouse Brass Ensemble. He is also a member of the Northwest Wind Quintet, the Idaho Brass Quintet, the Apollo Chamber Brass, and the Korean Summer Winds based in Busan, South Korea.

Johnston is Principal Horn for the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra and Opera Steamboat as well as Co-Principal Horn for the Washington-Idaho Symphony, and 3rd horn for the Walla Walla Symphony. In the past, he was Principal Horn for Fort Collins Symphony, Associate Principal Horn for the Greeley Philharmonic, Assistant/Utility horn for the Cheyenne Symphony, and section member of Opera Colorado.

He appeared as a soloist with the Steamboat Symphony, the Fort Collins Symphony, the University of Wyoming Wind Symphony, the Peabody Conservatory Concert Band, the University of Idaho Wind Ensemble, the University of Idaho Symphony Orchestra, the Washington-Idaho Symphony, the Fort Collins Wind Symphony, the Whitman College Wind Ensemble, and the Colorado Springs Chamber Orchestra.

An avid educator, Johnston is an in-demand clinician and lecturer. Recent presentations of clinics, master classes, and performances include the College Music Society International Conference in Vancouver (BC), Northwest Horn Society Symposia, International Fellowship of Conductors, Composers, and Collaborators, Idaho Music Educators Conference, Colorado Bandmasters Association Workshop, Colorado State University, Wichita State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Sul Ross State University (TX), and West Virginia University. In addition, he previously served on the faculties of the University of Wyoming, University of Colorado-Boulder Continuing Education Department, and the Rocky Ridge Music Conservatory.

Johnston has also performed with the Colorado Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic as Principal Horn, Wagner tubist, and other capacities, the Omaha Symphony as Principal Horn and other capacities, the Billings Symphony as Principal Horn, the Strings in the Mountains Music Festival Orchestra, the Boulder Brass (former member), the Denver Brass, the Cheyenne Symphony (former member), Opera Colorado (former member), the Boulder Bach Festival, Colorado Chamber Orchestra, Boulder Philharmonic, Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, the San Juan Symphony, Longmont Symphony, Front Range Chamber Players, Denver Municipal Band, Northern Colorado Opera Orchestra and the Rocky Mountain Horn Ensemble. Johnston can be heard on the commercially available recordings, “IN A WORLD…” on the Goes to Eleven label, with Wil Swindler’s Elevenet on the Origin Records label, and The Denver Brass, “Brass & Organ: Feel the Sound.”