Simon Johnson

Organist Simon Johnson combines work in cathedral posts with touring and appearances as an organ expert. He is Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. Johnson was born in 1975. Much of his training took place as an organ scholar -- a performer who receives discounted tuition in exchange for performing during services and events -- at Rochester Cathedral, Norwich Cathedral, and St. Paul's Cathedral, London. His first professional post was as the director of music at All Saints' Church, Northampton. Johnson moved on to the post of assistant master of music at St. Albans Cathedral, where he was director of the St. Albans Abbey Girls Choir. These posts led to his 2008 appointment as organist and assistant director of music at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. In 2013, Johnson made his recording debut on the Hyperion label in an album of music by César Franck. Johnson was quite visible in his role at St. Paul's. In the cathedral itself, he accompanied the choir and an instrumental consort. He also appeared at major national events held at the cathedral, including the funeral of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, the Diamond Jubilee and 90th birthday celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II, and other state events. Johnson has performed for the Queen, the Dalai Lama, and many other ecclesiastical and political leaders. He has also been heard frequently beyond the cathedral walls, touring all over Europe and the U.S. and appearing at premier British venues, including the Royal Festival Hall in 2017. At St. Paul's, he gave a sold-out performance of Holst's The Planets, beamed to the International Space Station and the U.S. space agency NASA. His performance of The Planets and other Holst works was released by the Priory Records label. Johnson has appeared in concert with several major orchestral groups, including the London Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic, as well as The Cardinall's Musick early music group. He is in demand as an organ expert and consultant, having appeared as keynote speaker at the Pontificium Consilium de Cultura at the Vatican and served as a consultant for the new organ in St. Jude's Cathedral, Lagos, Nigeria. He is on the Academic Board of The Royal College of Organists and served as an examiner for that group. In 2021, Johnson left his post at St. Paul's to become the Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. The following year, he moved to the Chandos label and released the album B-A-C-H: Anatomy of a Motif. ~ James Manheim, Rovi