A native of Houston, Texas, Geoffrey Johnson played as acting second oboist of Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 2014-2017 and will return this season. Prior to winning this position, Geoffrey completed a fellowship with Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 2009-2012, where he played both second oboe and English horn extensively for three seasons under Maestro Leonard Slatkin. While a fellow in DSO, Mr. Johnson performed several major English horn solos that were broadcast world wide online, including Berlioz's Roman Carnival, Respighi's Pines of Rome, Rossini's William Tell Overture, Rodrigo Guitar Concerto, Franck D minor Symphony, and the Largo from Dvorak's New World Symphony among others. He can be heard playing second oboe on numerous DSO recordings, including Billy the Kid, Tchaikovsky Complete Symphonies, Brahms Complete Symphonies, John Williams Concerti, the Grammy Nominated recording of Copland Symphony 3, and many more recordings still to be released. Mr. Johnson can also be heard as oboe soloist on R&B artist Kem's Christmas album, 'What Christmas Means', playing English horn and second oboe on Disney's 'The Lion King' movie & soundtrack (2019), and principal oboe on Spike Lee's newest film Da Five Bloods (2020). Geoffrey Johnson is also oboist with the Recollective Orchestra, performing most recently on CNN's 2022 Juneteenth Celebration, and has recently joined the faculty at Western Michigan University as adjunct oboe professor.
Mr. Johnson is an active chamber musician in the Detroit area and regularly performs with the Detroit Chamber Winds, Scarab Club Chamber Society, and with colleagues from the DSO; giving a series of performances of the Prokofiev Quintet and the Britten Phantasy Quartet. He is also a member of Orchestra Sono and has been featured as English horn soloist in Aaron Copland's Quiet City, which will be released later this season.
As well as performing, Geoffrey is an avid oboe teacher and maintains a competitive private lessons studio based in Royal Oak with students of all ages ranging from beginners to adult. His students have received full tuition music scholarships for undergraduate music degrees at major universities across the United States and Canada. They have also been accepted to Interlochen Academy for the Arts, won the Royal Oak Musicale Scholarship Concerto Competition, Birmingham Musicale Scholarship Concerto Competition, won first divisions at state solo and ensemble competitions, won positions in Texas and Michigan All-State orchestras, performed at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, been accepted into renown summer programs such as Interlochen Oboe Institute, Blue Lake International Orchestra, and University of Michigan summer camp, won chairs in local youth orchestras, been highlighted in local newspapers, including Troy Tribune and Royal Oak Review, been featured in television series Detroit Performs, been invited to perform solos at locals events, and more. Mr. Johnson has given masterclasses at the University of Ottawa and Baylor University and is also a private lessons teacher with the Sphinx Organization as well as an oboe teacher and coach for Detroit Civic Ensembles (CYE) and AVANTI, the DSO summer music festival.
Prior to being a fellow with DSO, Geoffrey played with Pittsburgh Symphony as a fellow for one season under the direction of Manfred Honeck, and was also offered a full time position as English hornist with the Honolulu Symphony in the Spring of 2009, which he declined to join Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Johnson has also performed with several other major orchestras, including Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa, Canada), Sarasota Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Windsor Symphony (CA), Pittsburgh Opera, Seraphic Fire, and performs regularly with Detroit Opera, Fisher Theatre Orchestra (Broadway Tours), Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and the Recollective Orchestra. He has performed on both domestic and international tours with Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Gateways Festival Orchestra, and the Recollective Orchestra, is also an alumni of the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, CO.
Geoffrey Johnson holds a Masters in Music Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with renown oboist, John Mack, former principal of the Cleveland Orchestra and Frank Rosenwein, principal of the Cleveland Orchestra. Geoffrey received his Bachelor degree in Music Performance from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he studied with Dr. Doris DeLoach. He has also studied extensively with Elaine Douvas of Juilliard and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
Mr. Johnson is an active chamber musician in the Detroit area and regularly performs with the Detroit Chamber Winds, Scarab Club Chamber Society, and with colleagues from the DSO; giving a series of performances of the Prokofiev Quintet and the Britten Phantasy Quartet. He is also a member of Orchestra Sono and has been featured as English horn soloist in Aaron Copland's Quiet City, which will be released later this season.
As well as performing, Geoffrey is an avid oboe teacher and maintains a competitive private lessons studio based in Royal Oak with students of all ages ranging from beginners to adult. His students have received full tuition music scholarships for undergraduate music degrees at major universities across the United States and Canada. They have also been accepted to Interlochen Academy for the Arts, won the Royal Oak Musicale Scholarship Concerto Competition, Birmingham Musicale Scholarship Concerto Competition, won first divisions at state solo and ensemble competitions, won positions in Texas and Michigan All-State orchestras, performed at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, been accepted into renown summer programs such as Interlochen Oboe Institute, Blue Lake International Orchestra, and University of Michigan summer camp, won chairs in local youth orchestras, been highlighted in local newspapers, including Troy Tribune and Royal Oak Review, been featured in television series Detroit Performs, been invited to perform solos at locals events, and more. Mr. Johnson has given masterclasses at the University of Ottawa and Baylor University and is also a private lessons teacher with the Sphinx Organization as well as an oboe teacher and coach for Detroit Civic Ensembles (CYE) and AVANTI, the DSO summer music festival.
Prior to being a fellow with DSO, Geoffrey played with Pittsburgh Symphony as a fellow for one season under the direction of Manfred Honeck, and was also offered a full time position as English hornist with the Honolulu Symphony in the Spring of 2009, which he declined to join Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Johnson has also performed with several other major orchestras, including Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa, Canada), Sarasota Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Windsor Symphony (CA), Pittsburgh Opera, Seraphic Fire, and performs regularly with Detroit Opera, Fisher Theatre Orchestra (Broadway Tours), Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and the Recollective Orchestra. He has performed on both domestic and international tours with Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, Gateways Festival Orchestra, and the Recollective Orchestra, is also an alumni of the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, CO.
Geoffrey Johnson holds a Masters in Music Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with renown oboist, John Mack, former principal of the Cleveland Orchestra and Frank Rosenwein, principal of the Cleveland Orchestra. Geoffrey received his Bachelor degree in Music Performance from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he studied with Dr. Doris DeLoach. He has also studied extensively with Elaine Douvas of Juilliard and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.