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Donald O. Johnston was born in 1929 in Tracy, Minnesota. His musical education was conducted under Dr. Carl Jensen (Music Theory at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota), Philip Warner and Robert Mills Delaney (Music Composition at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois), and Bernard Rogers and Howard Hanson (Music Composition at the Eastman School of Music, the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York). Johnston is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and has composed choral works, orchestral works (including six symphonies), an opera, chamber music, and pieces for band. His music is the proof of the viability of the neo-romantic tradition established by his mentor, Howard Hanson. The logical, well-balanced formal construction; the piquant harmonies; the striking rhythmic constructions -- all of these have an immediate appeal for audiences.
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Johnston's compositional style consists of a strongly tertian harmonic vocabulary with bitonal implications. Open fifths frequently appear in strong rhythmic positions. His metrical schemes often contrast "white note" with "black note" meters. Rhythmic constructions are frequently spiced with intricate cross rhythms.
Johnston saw military service in Korea, serving with the 45th Infantry Division Band. He composed the official march and marching song for the 45th Infantry Division. He served as director and arranger for the “Thunderbird Stage Band,” a group that performed especially for troops during short rest and recuperation periods from battle and as musical “fillers” between acts during USO shows.
Johnston's post war compositions have appeared in a number of publishers' catalogs including Summy-Birchard Co., Bourne Co., G. Schirmer, Elkan-Vogel, Boston Music Corp., Harold Flammer, Edwin F. Kalmus & Co., Rochester Music Publishers, Theodore Presser, Edward B. Marks Music Corp., Warner Brothers, Masters Music Publications, Inc., Shawnee Press, and Ludwig Publishing Co.
Johnston taught at the College of Idaho (1954-55) in Caldwell, Idaho, Ripon College (1955-58) in Ripon, Wisconsin, and The University of Montana (1960-1993), in Missoula, Montana, where he taught Music Theory, Music Composition, Music Literature, and was honored with the title Composer-in-Residence.
Johnston is the founder of Ars Nova Press®, Inc.
Johnston saw military service in Korea, serving with the 45th Infantry Division Band. He composed the official march and marching song for the 45th Infantry Division. He served as director and arranger for the “Thunderbird Stage Band,” a group that performed especially for troops during short rest and recuperation periods from battle and as musical “fillers” between acts during USO shows.
Johnston's post war compositions have appeared in a number of publishers' catalogs including Summy-Birchard Co., Bourne Co., G. Schirmer, Elkan-Vogel, Boston Music Corp., Harold Flammer, Edwin F. Kalmus & Co., Rochester Music Publishers, Theodore Presser, Edward B. Marks Music Corp., Warner Brothers, Masters Music Publications, Inc., Shawnee Press, and Ludwig Publishing Co.
Johnston taught at the College of Idaho (1954-55) in Caldwell, Idaho, Ripon College (1955-58) in Ripon, Wisconsin, and The University of Montana (1960-1993), in Missoula, Montana, where he taught Music Theory, Music Composition, Music Literature, and was honored with the title Composer-in-Residence.
Johnston is the founder of Ars Nova Press®, Inc.