Chicago Philharmonic Executive Director is making his mark

Photo by Todd Rosenberg
Photo by Todd Rosenberg

 Chicago Philharmonic Executive Director is making his mark

By Tia Carol Jones

Chicago Philharmonic has been presenting more diverse programming, from Grammy-nominated group Tank and the Bangas to the music of “Black Panther” in concert. Bringing this music and these artists to an orchestral setting has been the brainchild of Terell Johnson.

Terell Johnson has been the Executive Director of the Chicago Philharmonic since June 2021. Johnson is a musician by trade, he studied music and has a Master of Arts in Music Performance. He has experience as a musician and as an administrator.

Before he accepted the role with the Chicago Philharmonic, he was at the New World Symphony, in Miami Beach. He participated in the Sphinx Leaders in Excellence, Arts & Diversity (LEAD) program, which is a two-year leadership program for Black and Latinx art leaders that includes mentorship, leadership retreats and networking opportunities. The goal of the program is to empower the next generation of executive leaders in the arts.

During the two years that Johnson has been the Executive Director, the Chicago Philharmonic has presented Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” in concert in 2022; on Sept. 30th of this year, it presented Tank and the Bangas; and Oct. 14th, Chicago Philharmonic Presents Aria Masterpieces with Ryan Speedo Green. On Jan. 13, 2024, Chicago Philharmonic will perform the music of Spike Lee and Terence Blanchard.

Johnson said he did it because he wanted to make a mark at the Chicago Philharmonic. He believes having more contemporary artists and composers mixed in with more classical composers is an exciting frontier.

“A lot of the folks we’ve been working with, I’ve been listening to for years and I’m really excited about that. We’ve had the opportunity to create some really special performances with folks,” he said.

“Aria Masterpieces” takes Chicago Philharmonic back to its roots. Chicago Philharmonic was founded 25 years ago by principals from the Lyric Opera of Chicago. They created a new ensemble so they could present works and be featured. Selections span a large range of opera for the bass-baritone voice type. Johnson said while the audience will get a condensed exciting snapshot of really important works for opera, they also will get important modern works for opera, from Terence Blanchard. One piece will be from “Champion” and the other will be from “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.”

“I think it’s so exciting to be able to present works by living composers. All of this music is kind of a representation of our current experiences and the human condition. To not only have music of the past, but also music of the present, is really important to us,” said Johnson, who added that “Champion” premiered at the Metropolitan Opera and Green portrayed the younger version of the lead character, Emile Griffith.

Johnson and Green went to graduate school at Florida State University, so for them to be working together in this way is a full circle moment.

Johnson believes it is important to play historic work and honor it, it can also feel like preservation in a museum. He also believes that playing current work, where the composer is in attendance, is very important for the craft. Also, during “Aria
 Masterpieces,” Chicago Philharmonic will perform “Starbust” by Jesse Montgomery.

“To be presenting works by folks who have a modern vision to it, who are using tonalities and expressive elements that have come from the modern age. It is very important that new music is being presented. I think it’s also important that we’re supporting living artists,” Johnson said.

Johnson said being eclectic in its programming has made it a dynamic organization. Chicago Philharmonic is really trying to present music and do partnerships across the city that reflect Chicago, featuring different areas of artistic expression.

For more information about Chicago Philharmonic, visit chicagophilharmonic.org.

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