Jeri Lynne Johnson

Jeri Lynne Johnson is an orchestra conductor who has contested the customary persona of the European male conductor and the 19th century social and cultural traditions built upon classical European music through reorienting orchestral culture to reflect the social, cultural, and economic realities of the United States today. In 2003, she led the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia in the world premieres of two innovative commissions that stretched the boundaries of classical music and bridged generational and cultural gaps—one by the Tin Hat Trio and the other by Scrap Arts Music ensemble. In 2005, Jeri publicly presented her iConduct project, which offers audiences a chance to interact with professional orchestras. That same year she also began one of several collaborations with the Free Library of Philadelphia’s One Book, One Philadelphia program. Jeri later founded the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra (BPCO), an ensemble whose goals are to establish a pipeline of the next generation of Latino/a and African American classical musicians, which debuted in March 2009. BPCO also strives to perform music of the highest quality while embracing cultural diversity, collaborating with other art forms, cultivating a savvy use of technology, and building meaningful connections with the community. A composer as well, Jeri 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. Jeri made history as the first African American woman to win the prestigious Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship in 2005. By stepping outside of the traditional classical music systems, Jeri has become an active ambassador and role model for greater inclusion in and access to meaningful artistic opportunities.

Jeri will conduct a chamber orchestra of young Latino/a and African American classical musicians who will perform commissioned works by composers of color and serve as ambassadors of classical music for other aspiring musicians. Jeri wants the orchestra to change the perception of classical music and hopes to remove the barriers between audiences and musicians by performing in alternative venues (e.g., art galleries, churches, nightclubs) and invite the audience to participate in the artistic experience.