Carter Johnson

Carter Johnson is a Canadian classical pianist. He was the Silver Laureate at the 2025 Honens International Piano Competition. He has won first prizes in piano competitions in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, including first prize at the Dublin International Piano Competition in 2025, and was the first Canadian to reach the final round of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in the same year.

Early life and education

Johnson was born in Campbell River on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. He began piano studies at age five with Shelley Roberts, with whom he continued to study until he was 17. As a teenager Johnson also earned ATCL (Associate of Trinity College London) degrees in pedagogy and in speech and drama.

He earned a Bachelor of Music at the University of British Columbia, studying under Mark Anderson. He earned two graduate degrees, a Master in Music from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Matti Raekallio and Joseph Kalichstein, and a Master of Musical Arts at the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Wei-Yi Yang. He is a doctoral candidate at Yale. performing two winners' concerts in Poland with the Rzeszów Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tomasz Chmiel.

In 2023 after winning first prize at the Concours Hauts-de-France International Piano Competition he performed a winners' concert with the Orchestre de Picardie conducted by Simon Proust in Roubaix, France. In 2024 he was the silver medalist at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition.

Personal life

Carter lives in Connecticut with his wife, Hannah, who is a teacher, and their two sons. In addition to the piano he has studied oboe, voice, harpsichord, and elocution, and worked as a vocal coach. 2023 Walter Naumburg Competition, Finalist/Honorarium 2023 Weatherford College International Competition, First Prize 2023 Concours Hauts-de-France International Piano Competition, First Prize 2021 International Competition of Polish Music, First Prize 2018 Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Manulife Competition, First Prize and Grand Prize 2018 Canadian Music Stepping Stone Competition, First Prize