Craig Randal Johnson’s solo piano recitals and programs typically feature Finnish, American as well as standard repertoire.    Programs also feature the music of the eclectic composer Hanns Eisler.  Finnish composers represented include Rautavaara, Kokkonen, Melartin, Erik Bergman, Kaipainen, Sibelius, Toivo Kuula, Madetoja, Matti Tuhkala and others.  American composers played have included:  Robert Carl, David Macbride, David Vayo, Wynn-Anne Rossi, Elizabeth Austin, Brian Grundstrom, Judith Shatin, Libby Larsen, Roy Harris, William Balcolm, George Gershwin, Norman Dello Joio, and Scott Joplin.   

PIANO SOLOIST WITH ORCHESTRA OR CHORUS

Grieg, Edvard: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Northern Michigan University Orchestra/  Barbara Rhyneer, Conductor
April 19, 2022
Reynolds Recital Hall/ Marquette, Michigan

Gershwin, George: Piano Concerto in F
Marquette Symphony Orchestra/ Robert Ritsema, Conductor
November 14, 2015
Kaufmann Auditorium/ Marquette, Michigan

‘Song of the Open Road’ for Chorus, Piano and Trumpet, by Norman Dello Joio
Augsburg Masterworks Chorale/ Peter Hendrickson, Director
November 3, 2013
Augsburg College/ Minneapolis, Minnesota

Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin
Members of the Marquette Symphony Orchestra
February 28, 2010
Bay College at the Besse Center Theater/  Escanaba, Michigan

_______________________________________________________

SOLO RECITAL ENGAGEMENTS

Friday, December 8, 2017
Solo Recital:  "A Celebration of Finland’s 100 years of Independence”
Hampden Hall/ Englewood Civic Center
Englewood, Colorado

Saturday, December 2, 2017
Piano Soloist at Celebration of 100 Years Finland Independence
Rozsa Center/ Michigan Technological University
Houghton, Michigan

CELEBRATING FINLAND/ Concert & Dinner
October 4, 2017
Piano Music from Finland/ Finland Civil War and Gustav Mannerheim
Recital Presented by Common Strands
Campus Club at Coffman Memorial Union/ University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Solo Recital: ‘Piano Music from Finland’
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Bethany Lutheran Church
933 Michigan Avenue
Ashtabula, Ohio

40th Annual Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival
Main stage piano programs featuring ‘Piano Music from Finland’
June 23 and 24, 2017/ Four Performances
Craig Randal Johnson, Pianist
Moorhead, Minnesota

‘Piano Music from Finland’
Reynolds Recital Hall/ Northern Michigan University
March 14, 2017
Marquette, Michigan

 ‘Piano Music from Finland’
FINNISH CLASSICAL MUSIC PAST AND PRESENT
Normandale Lutheran Church
January 23, 2017
Edina, Minnesota

Co-sponsored by Minnehaha Music

This  recital explored the connections amongst Finnish piano music, Finnish  national independence, the civil war which immediately followed  independence, as well as the relationship between Jean Sibelius and Carl  Gustaf Mannerheim.    Einojuhani Rautavaara’s ‘Ikonit’/ Icons was  featured, as Eeva Savolainen read the composer’s own texts descrbing  each of the six icons depicted in music.   This was to honor the great  composer who died in July 2016.  Music by Toivo Kuula, Joonas Kokkonen,  Matti Tuhkala and Leevi Madetoja was also performed.  The program was  well attended and very well received

‘Jean Sibelius at 150’/ Piano Music from Finland
Thomaston Federated Church
May 15, 2015
Thomaston, Maine

‘Jean Sibelius at 150’/ Piano Music from Finland
Clark Memorial Chapel at Pomfret School
May 17, 2015
Pomfret, Connecticut

Western Carolina University
January 27, 2014
Cullowhee, North Carolina
    (Works by Roy Harris, Robert Carl, Joonas Kokkonen, Libby Larsen, Erkki Melartin)

Dalton State College
January 24, 2014
Dalton, Georgia
    (Works by Roy Harris, Robert Carl, Joonas Kokkonen, Libby Larsen, Erkki Melartin, George Gershwin)

Covenant College
January 23, 2014
Lookout Mountain, Georgia
    (Works by Roy Harris, Robert Carl, Joonas Kokkonen, Libby Larsen, Erkki Melartin)

Solo Piano Recital/ also featuring Nancy Railey, pianist
Sponsored by the Marquette Arts and Culture Center,  at the Peter White Library
December 5, 2013
Marquette, Michigan
    (Works by Roy Harris, Joonas Kokkonen and Robert Carl)

Solo Piano Recital
Finnfest 2012/ Double Tree Hotel Reid Park
November 9, 2012
Tucson, Arizona

Finlandia Foundation Gala Concert at the Finnish Embassy to the United States
October 29, 2011/ Washington, D.C.
       (Works by Leevi Madetoja,  Erkki Melartin, Jean Sibelius, Joonas Kokkonen)

Leinestern Verleihung/ 12 Jahre Jubiläum des Freiwilligenzentrums Hannover
18. June 2011
Maritim Airport Hotel/ Hannover - Langenhagen, Germany
           Music from the '20s'/  Weill, Gershwin, Kern, several others

Suomalaista Pianomusiikkia/  Piano Music from Finland
Ylivieska Akustiikka Concert Hall
10. June 2011
Ylivieska, Finland
 
Das Klaviererlebnis/ Klavierprogramm
Eilenriedestift Hannover
5. June 2011
Hannover, Germany
    (Works by Scott Joplin, David Macbride, Libby Larsen, William Balcom, George Gershwin)

James J. Hill House, Gallery/ January 24, 2011
St. Paul,  Minnesota
    (Works by Leevi Madetoja, Joonas Kokkonen, Hanns Eisler, Ravel, Debussy, Beethoven)

Haus und Garten Konzert / Solo Recital
Hannover (Kleefeld), Germany
10. July 2009
Theme: "Finnische Klaviermusik mit deutschen Einflüßen"/ Finnish piano music with German influences
           (Works by Rautavaara, Kokkonen, Aarre Merikanto, Melartin, Bergman, Sibelius)

Leinestern Verleihung/ 10 Jahre Jubiläum des Freiwilligenzentrums Hannover
Maritim Airport Hotel/ Hannover-Langenhagen, Germany
4. July 2009
Music composed by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Scott Joplin, Wynn-Anne Rossi

EARLIER RECITALS AND SOLO APPEARANCES:

2008    "Finnish Piano Fantasy" at FinnFest 2008/ Duluth MN

2006    Conference: THE FINNISH LANGUAGE AND CULTURE SEMINAR
            “Suomen Innokkaat Sisukkaat Ulkosuomalaiset” (SISU)
Duluth MN

2006     Nordvendt Concert Series/ Minneapolis MN

2006     Lecture/ Performance: Seventh Nordic Spirit Symposium at Calif. Lutheran Univ.
           ‘The Piano as a Contemporary Voice in Scandinavian Culture’/ Thousand Oaks CA

2004    Recital at Southwest Minnesota State University/ Marshall MN
             Recent Piano Music: The Hartt School/ Hartford CT
                        Presented by the Institute of Contemporary American Music

2004     Piano Music from Finlandat James Mann Perf. Arts Ctr. / New York Mills MN

2003:    Solo Recital at Kaufmann Auditorium/ Marquette MI
                       Presented by Marquette Community Concerts

2002    Piano Music from Finland, at FinnFest 2002 Univ of MN/ Minneapolis MN
            Rhapsody in Blue in an appearance with the Fridley City Band/ Fridley MN

2000    Nordvendt Concert Series/ Minneapolis MN

1999     Piano Music from Finland/ at the Finn Hall/ Canterbury CT
                      Presented by the Finnish American Heritage Society
            Piano Music from Finland: The Hartt School/ Hartford CT
                     Presented by the Institute of Contemporary American Music
            Piano Music from Finland: Estonia House/ Lincolnshire IL
                     Presented by the Finnish American Society of the Midwest
            Piano Music from Finland: Illinois Wesleyan University/ Bloomington IL
                     Music of Sweden, Norway and Finland: Delgado College/ New Orleans LA
            Guest Piano Recital: Southeastern Louisiana University/ Hammond LA
            Recital at the Raahesali/ Raahe, Finland
                     Presented at the time of the 350th Anniversary of the City of Raahe
           Piano Music from Finland, Sweden, Norway: Grace Lutheran Church/ Palo Alto CA
           Piano Music from Finland:  Finnish American Home Association/ Sonoma CA
           Piano Music from Finland: Lutheran Church of the Cross/ Berkeley CA
           Nordvendt Concert Series: Mindekirken Norwegian Church/ Minneapolis MN
           Recital in Silver Lake/ Los Angeles CA  
                      Sponsored by the American Scandinavian Foundation of Los Angeles
           Piano Music from Finland: Finnish-Am. Heritage Ctr., Finlandia Univ./ Hancock MI

1998    Hanns Eisler Centennial Celebration: Amsterdam Concert Series/ New York NY
                     (with) Ashley Horne, Violinist
    
1998   Recital: American Piano Music/ Amerikkalaista Pianomusiikkia
Helsinki, Finland
                     Temippeliaukio Kirkko (Rock Church)

1998   Contemporary Finnish Music: St. Michaels Catholic Church/ Stillwater MN
                     Sponsored by ‘Music on the Saint Croix’. 
                  World Premiere of David Drexler’s ‘Devils Lake’, for Vln, Vc, Cl and piano.

1997     Piano Music from Finland at Finnfest 1997/ Minot ND

1997     Piano Music from Finland.   Sundin Hall at Hamline University/ St. Paul MN    
        THE FIRST 'PIANO MUSIC FROM FINLAND' PROGRAM.  April 6, 1997

1996    Contemporary Music for the Piano:
Clapp Recital Hall at the Univ. of Iowa/ Iowa City IA
                   Presented by the Center for New Music

1995    Recent American Piano Music: The Hartt School/ Hartford CT
                   Presented by the Institute of Contemporary American Music

1995    Recent American Piano Music:  Illinois Wesleyan University/ Bloomington IL
                  The New Music Café

1994    Neue amerikanische Musik in Leibnizhaus, Music and Commentary
Hannover, DE
                  Sponsored by the Hannover Amerika Haus and Integratives Forum Hannover

1994    Neue amerikanische Musik in Wacker Gallerie/ Hildesheim, Germany

1994    Lecture Concert on American Music:  Second Templin Seminar/ Templin, DE
               Sponsor: AGABUR Foundation, Univ. of CT, Potsdam Univ. DAAD,
Brandenburg State

1994    Recent American Music: Landmark Center/ St. Paul MN
                 Presented by Minnesota Landmarks and the Minnesota Composers Forum

1993    Neue amerikanische Musik, Music and Commentary/ Hannover, Germany
                 Wintersalon in Hannover