Jon Johnston

Born in New Orleans in 1973, Jon was fortunate to be surrounded by good music from an early age and began playing the piano at age 4. By age 8 he was winning awards for his original compositions. Jon’s love of music was further nurtured at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Dallas, where he was recognized nationally as one of the top performing jazz pianist in the country.

His musical journey continued at Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he studied with legendary artists, including jazz pianist Ray Santisi, and began teaching piano and performing locally. He also studied bass, with extensive training by Dwayne Heggar, lead bassist of Emerald City Band.

It was at Berklee that Jon had his first encounter with the shakuhachi. The flute’s incredibly rich sound touched off a love affair with the instrument and Japanese music that has continued to this day. After returning to Texas, Jon began studying with shakuhachi masters Stan Richardson and Yodo Kurahashi II. In 2008 he received his Shihan (master's teaching license) and the shakuhachi name of 'Jō-on do' (pure sound) from Stan 'Kakudo' Richardson sensei. In 2012, he performed at the World Shakuhachi Festival in Kyoto, Japan.

In addition to teaching, Jon has performed shakuhachi at a variety of local venues such as the Crowe Collection of Asian Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Dallas Museum of Art and at events including festivals at the Dallas Arboretum, the Japanese Gardens in Houston and the Fort Worth Japanese Gardens.

Jon also performs with local bands Limelight, Ro 65, and Watersign.

Jon has a few CDs in the works this year, including a solo album of original compositions for piano and orchestra. More information about these upcoming releases can be found here.