mission mandala

why "black pearl?"

jeri lynne johnson
Founding Music Director

the orchestra

our board

contact

t: 484.412.8800
f: 610.526.0150
e:info@blackpearlco.org

Jeri Lynne Johnson began conducting while pursuing doctoral studies in music theory and history at the University of Chicago.  Her conducting teachers and mentors have included Sir Simon Rattle, Cliff Colnot, Daniel Barenboim, and John Harbison among others. While studying at the University, Ms. Johnson was engaged by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (COP) and hired as that ensemble’s assistant conductor.

In Philadelphia, Ms. Johnson committed herself to artistic innovation by performing and commissioning new works.  A composer herself, Ms. Johnson has performed her own innovative multimedia commissions for the Kimmel Center’s See Hear! concert series and with the computer visual music ensemble, Arts in Motion.

Dedicated to bringing classical music to a younger, more culturally-diverse audience, she has created unique collaborations between some of the city’s and world’s great artists and institutions such as Jennifer Higdon, Tim O’Brien, the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Orchestra.  A recipient of many community awards, Ms. Johnson has featured in numerous magazines and newspapers as well as PRI’s “Tavis Smiley Show”. 

Alongside prominent woman conductors Marin Alsop and Joann Falletta, Ms. Johnson was heralded as one of today’s leading women conductors on the NBC Today Show (US) and she has appeared on “A Classic Performance” BEN (UK) and in the ITV-4 (UK) documentary “Gifted”.  In 2005 Ms. Johnson made history as the first African-American woman to win an international conducting prize when she was awarded the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship.