Guest conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson brought out energy and passion from the Thornton Chamber Orchestra on Friday night. The Bovard Auditorium was flooded with classical sounds as the ensemble performed with precision and artistry, consistently playing in unison and giving depth to the music.

The concert showcased three pieces: “Source Code” by Jessie Montgomery, “Le Tambeau de Couperin” by Maurice Ravel and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8. 

Johnson has been described by the Los Angeles Times as “a stunning, rhythmically vital conductor” after she conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic in November 2022 and is the founder and artistic director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, which places an emphasis on combining artistic excellence and cultural diversity in classical music performance.

The artistic leader of the Thornton Symphony, Carl St.Clair, invited her to conduct the ensemble after following her success, Johnson said.

“The staff, the school, the entire time I’ve been here, everyone has been so gracious and so supportive,” Johnson said during the concert. “The students in this orchestra are just wonderful young players, so talented, so dedicated, so hard working. It’s been a real pleasure working with them.”

Johnson said she was super impressed with the musicians she worked with because of their dedication to their craft and their musicianship.

“They’re hungry to learn, and they have so much potential,” Johnson said. “I’ve been so impressed with their ability to absorb what I’m asking them to do, musically and technically, and to be able to really execute [it] right away at a very high level.”

While working with students, part of the learning process that Johnson said she tries to emphasize is how to bring music to life and give it depth. She said looking at what’s written on sheet music isn’t all you need to pay attention to when you’re making music.

“Making real music, lifting those notes in black and white off the page and giving them three dimensions in the real world requires a great deal of imagination and creativity,” Johnson said. “Just relying on what you see on the page is not enough for professional precision.”

An approach Johnson said she takes when thinking about conducting is to avoid acting like a stereotypical conductor who doesn’t make room for creative contributions from the musicians in the orchestra.

“My approach has been one of benevolent dictatorship if you will,” Johnson said. “I have a vision, and we’re going to execute my vision. But I also like to give musicians, especially during solos within the orchestra, opportunities to let their voices shine. Let their vision for what they’re playing be heard.”

Dennis Papazyan, a sophomore majoring in flute performance, was principal flute on the Beethoven piece. He said Johnson worked patiently with the ensemble on the piece, which was tricky with the counting.

“She’s very passionate,” Papazyan said. “I love her style. She just has so many good ideas, and I was just constantly impressed by the kind of tips that she would give us and the things that she wanted us to emphasize in the music.”

Because of Johnson’s instruction and the ensemble’s diligent work, Papazyan said, the concert went off without a hitch.

“Before this, since this is kind of an obscure Beethoven symphony that’s not played as much as the others, I didn’t think much of it,” Papazyan said. “After working with her, I gained a new perspective on it. I have a big appreciation now.”

Concertmaster Anna Renton is a senior majoring in violin performance and a first-year master’s student. She said she feels lucky to get to learn from amazing female conductors like Johnson and Sharon Lavery, resident conductor of multiple Thornton orchestras.

“[Johnson] has so much vision for everything, and it’s really inspiring to work with her,” Renton said. “She knows exactly what she wants and can explain it in such a poetic and artistic way that’s really amazing.”

Johnson said she hopes the students enjoyed working with her and feel like they learned something as musicians. She also said it’s important for students to see a woman of color leading their orchestra. 

“Leadership and excellence come in many shapes, sizes, colors, creeds, you name it,” Johnson said. “Excellence in leadership is as diverse as the human population is.”

There are more resources available to support people of color and more people working to make classical music more accessible for everyone than when Johnson was a student. She said she encourages students of color wanting to pursue classical music to just go for it.

“It was a famous quote by Mahler that said ‘a symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything,’” Johnson said. “I kind of decided when I founded my orchestra that an orchestra must be like the world; it must contain everyone. For me, an orchestra is not just a musical ensemble; it’s a world view.”