Dr. Sarah Johnson, a native of St. Louis, is a dedicated teacher and performer. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Central Missouri in piano pedagogy and performance, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Louisiana State University in performance and collaborative piano. Dr. Johnson’s primary focus for performance and research is twentieth century music, from French Impressionism to Tin Pan Alley and modern ragtime. Her doctoral dissertation focused on Dana Suesse, a female American composer from Tin Pan Alley and contemporary of Gershwin. In addition to performances of Shostakovich and Ravel with symphonies and orchestras in Missouri and Illinois, she performed George Gershwin’s Concerto in F with the Louisiana State University Symphony.
Dr. Johnson taught as a guest lecturer at Southeastern Louisiana University, in Hammond, and at Southern University and A&M College, in Baton Rouge, and she maintains a thriving private piano studio where she teaches students of all ages and walks of life.