Richard Johnston

Richard Johnston (7 May 1917 – 16 August 1997) was a Canadian composer, conductor, editor, folklorist, music critic, music educator, music producer, and university administrator of American birth. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1957. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in February 1997. The library at the University of Calgary holds a substantial amount of his papers, manuscripts, and transcripts in its "Richard Johnston Canadian Music Archives Collection". His original fieldwork tapes and transcripts made during his research as a folklorist are part of the collection at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Early life and education Born Albert Richard Johnston in Chicago, he began his musical education with Ruth Crazier-Curtis. He entered Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois in 1934 but left the school after just one year. He later matriculated to Northwestern University where he earned a Bachelor of Music in 1942. He briefly taught on the music faculty of Luther College in Wahoo, Nebraska before beginning private studies with Nadia Boulanger in Madison, Wisconsin in 1943-1944. With her he performed the world premiere of Igor Stravinsky's Sonata for Two Pianos (1944). He pursued graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music from 1944-1947 where he earned both a Master of Music and a Doctor of Philosophy in music. He later studied music education throughout Eastern Europe, notably with Zoltán Kodály in Hungary in 1965. Career In 1947 Johnston immigrated to Canada to join the music faculty at the University of Toronto (UT). He taught at the school through 1968 during which time he taught classes in music theory and spent a few years as the school's choir conductor. One of his notable pupils at the UT was R. Murray Schafer. From 1954-1970 he was editor-in-chief of Songs for Today, a music publication for school music teachers. He served as president of the Ontario Music Educators' Association in 1958-1959 and in 1959 he helped establish the Canadian Music Educators' Association. From 1962-1968 he director of The Royal Conservatory of Music's Summer School where he also taught/supported courses in the Orff Schulwerk method and the Kodály Method of music education. He also was responsible for establishing the CAPAC-MacMillan lectures at the RCMT.