Bryan Johanson is an active concert guitarist, composer, and author who taught at Portland State University from 1978. A Professor of Music and past Director of the School of Music, Johanson retired in January of 2016 to pursue composing, performing and writing. His articles and reviews on the guitar have appeared in the top journals and magazines in the field, including Soundboard, Guitar Review, Acoustic Guitar and American Lutherie. His compositions have been published by Columbia Music Company, Edizioni Musicali Berben, Frederick Harris Music Publishers, Guitar Solo Publications, Thomas House Publications, Earthsongs Music Publishers, Mel Bay Publications, Doberman-Yppan and Les Productions d’OZ. The recipient of many commissions, his music has been performed and recorded by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Northwest, the Oregon Symphony, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, David Starobin, The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, David Tanenbaum, the Portland Symphonic Choir, the Turin Philharmonic, the Bologna Orchestra and Third Angle New Music Ensemble. He has won numerous composition prizes, including awards from the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Aspen Music Festival, the Esztergom International Guitar Festival (Hungary), The Festival of August (Venezuela), the Roger Wagner Center for Choral Studies, as well as multiple awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Johanson’s music is recorded extensively and appears on record labels such as Albany, Bridge, EMI, GSP, Gagliano Recording, Naxos and Cube Squared Records. In 1999, his critically acclaimed composition Open Up Your Ears for guitar was recorded on David Starobin’s Grammy Award nominated New Dance, and in 2004 his Pluck, Strum and Hammer and Let’s Be Frank were recorded by the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet on their Grammy Award winning Guitar Heroes. Johanson is currently a member of the Oregon Guitar Quartet, which has released seven highly successful recordings. He has also recently been elected to the Board of Trustees for the Guitar Foundation of America.composing, and writing, he directs the Portland Guitar Festival. Current extracurricular activities include running marathons, distance cycling, and learning to play the pipa.

▪ bio current as of 2016