Jeri Lynne Johnson

About Jeri Lynne Johnson

Jeri Lynne Johnson is a conductor, composer and cultural entrepreneur. A graduate of Wellesley College and the University of Chicago, she studied conducting with Sir Simon Rattle, Marin Alsop, and Daniel Barenboim. In 2005 she became the first African American woman to win an international conducting prize when she received the Taki Alsop Conducting Fellowship. She has since led major orchestras and opera companies including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Santa Fe Opera. In addition to her work with classical and contemporary music she has collaborated with artists such as Jay Z, Solange Knowles, Alicia Keys and The Roots. In 2022 she conducted Tania León’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Stride at the Kennedy Center Honors.

In 2008 Johnson founded the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra as a model for a 21st century ensemble rooted in artistic excellence and civic engagement. Under her leadership, Black Pearl has earned eleven National Endowment for the Arts grants and national recognition for its innovative community centered approach.