GROUPS

Emma has enjoyed musical collaborations with colleagues from all over the world performing in venues such as Wigmore Hall London, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Louvre in Paris.
Whether it be in trios by Mozart and Schumann with viola, by Brahms, Beethoven and Zemlinsky with cello or by Bartok and Stravinsky with violin, the clarinet works well in combination with another instrument. Popular also is Emma’s programme with soprano featuring Schubert. Her particular love is the rich repertoire for clarinet and string quartet by Mozart, Weber, Brahms and others.

Reviews

Great Irish Houses Festival
"In an engaging introduction Emma Johnson referred to the shared conviviality of the Mozart Clarinet Quintet. And indeed this was how the opening Allegro sounded. She and the Contempo Quartet created the ultimate in a festival – a word much abused nowadays – an event."
- Irish Independent

Brahms Quintet and Zemlinsky Trio CD
"The players interweave magically. It is hard to imagine a more musical recording of two such deeply satisfying works, ideally paired here. (Brahms Quintet and Zemlinsky Trio recording with the Michelangelo Quartet and John Lenehan)."
- Music Web International's CD of the month

Messiaen Quatour pour la Fin du Temps
"Emma Johnson and the Storioni Trio played Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps in Eindhoven in a gripping and confident performance. Johnson’s expressive clarinet playing melted seamlessly into the Storioni Trio’s delicate style. Their whole-hearted performance had a spellbinding effect on the audience."
- Eindhovens Dagblad

"Their performance of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps was grandly expressive. Johnson’s clarinet added power and colour to the lyrical high register of the strings; her sound exudes both stinging pain and heavenly acceptance ....a truly riveting experience."
- Gronings Dagblad

Magnificent Opening to the Festival of Music - Chamber music at the Minorca Festival
"The Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by Leonard Bernstein gave the opportunity to appreciate the art of that phenomenal musician, Emma Johnson"

 

Emma has enjoyed musical collaborations with colleagues from all over the world performing in venues such as Wigmore Hall London, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and the Louvre in Paris.
Whether it be in trios by Mozart and Schumann with viola, by Brahms, Beethoven and Zemlinsky with cello or by Bartok and Stravinsky with violin, the clarinet works well in combination with another instrument. Popular also is Emma’s programme with soprano featuring Schubert and her particular love is the rich repertoire for clarinet and string quartet by Mozart, Weber and Brahms and others.

Reviews

Great Irish Houses Festival
"In an engaging introduction Emma Johnson referred to the shared conviviality of the Mozart Clarinet Quintet. And indeed this was how the opening Allegro sounded. She and the Contempo Quartet created the ultimate in a festival – a word much abused nowadays – an event."
- Irish Independent

Brahms Quintet and Zemlinsky Trio CD
"The players interweave magically. It is hard to imagine a more musical recording of two such deeply satisfying works, ideally paired here. (Brahms Quintet and Zemlinsky Trio recording with the Michelangelo Quartet and John Lenehan)."
- Music Web International's CD of the month

Messiaen Quatour pour la Fin du Temps
"Emma Johnson and the Storioni Trio played Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps in Eindhoven in a gripping and confident performance. Johnson’s expressive clarinet playing melted seamlessly into the Storioni Trio’s delicate style. Their whole-hearted performance had a spellbinding effect on the audience."
- Eindhovens Dagblad

"Their performance of Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps was grandly expressive. Johnson’s clarinet added power and colour to the lyrical high register of the strings; her sound exudes both stinging pain and heavenly acceptance ....a truly riveting experience."
- Gronings Dagblad

Magnificent Opening to the Festival of Music - Chamber music at the Minorca Festival
"The Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by Leonard Bernstein gave the opportunity to appreciate the art of that phenomenal musician, Emma Johnson, indisputably the leading player of the concert."
- Diario Menorca

TALES FROM VIENNA

TALES FROM VIENNA

 Experience the magic of Vienna in its heyday with classic music of the era played by Emma Johnson and Friends highlighted by fascinating insights from writer and radio presenter, John Suchet.

Vienna in the 19th century was an extraordinary city, a hotbed of musical creativity that nurtured Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss and Schubert. But hidden under the apparently harmless mania for wine, women and song were germinating the seeds of social discontent that would trigger the First World War.

"Such an enjoyment of music making with technically superb, charismatic playing......Emma Johnson's Strauss arrangements are as frothy as a glass of bubbly!" Gramophone Magazine

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Emma Johnson and Friends

Johnson’s own group, Emma Johnson and Friends, performs and records in formations from trios to Octets. The group’s recent live recording of the Schubert Octet has had some great reviews.

"There’s a strong feeling of a group of like-minded musicians revelling in playing life-enhancing music for pleasure and as a team. I enjoyed this expert and always smiling performance very much indeed and it’s evident from the vociferous applause at the end that the audience enjoyed it just as much.
With an hour and a quarter of delightful music in first-rate performances this disc is a winner."
- John Quinn, Music Web International

Trio

with Lesley Garrett and Andrew West

Emma has arranged a whole new repertoire for her concerts with opera singer, Lesley Garrett and pianist, Andrew West; starting with Bach and ending with the Beatles they visit Verdi and explore folk music along the way! There’s plenty of chat too.
They have performed at venues and festivals as far and wide as the Holders Season in Barbados and the Snape Proms, Aldeburgh. This review of their concert in Hall for Cornwall gives a flavour:

Review of concert in Hall for Cornwall
"The whole theme of the evening was the variety of music being played and Emma shone throughout, in everything from Bach, to Hungarian folk dance, to Bernstein's West Side Story, to a brilliant encore performance of The Beatles' When I'm 64.
... all three produced more than accomplished performances throughout as our musical journey took us all the way from 17th century classical, through opera and folk to 20th century musicals and beyond. Another surprise for me was how much I enjoyed Lesley's performance of Rusalka's Song To The Moon, by Dvorak. A song about a prince being adored by a water spirit –or a pond, as Garrett put it – which charmed and enchanted. Loved it. In fact, after recently reviewing the likes of Motörhead, UFO and The Stranglers –rampaging rockers all – the whole show was a bit of a surprise, and a pleasant one at that."
4/5 - Westbriton