2026 Reynolds Conducting Institute Fellow

Meet Emma Johnson

Emma Johnson is a conductor, musician, and educator born and raised in Houston, Texas. Ms. Johnson is currently a band director at Woodbridge High School and the Wind Ensemble Director at the Colburn Community School. A proud graduate of Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas, Ms. Johnson went on to study conducting with Dr. Shawn Smith and bassoon with Dr. Christian Smith at Brigham Young University. During her five years at BYU, two experiences proved particularly formative: touring Spain and Portugal with the BYU Wind Symphony in May 2023, and performing in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Philharmonic Orchestra. She graduated from BYU in April 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a minor in Family Life. Ms. Johnson then relocated to Southern California to pursue her master’s degree at California State University-Fullerton, where she studied instrumental conducting with Dr. Dustin Barr and attained her teaching credential under the guidance of Dr. Gregory Whitmore, all while performing bassoon in the University Wind Symphony and the University Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Johnson recently made her international conducting debut in Spain conducting the CSUF Wind Ensemble. She continually seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge through workshops and masterclasses, and is excited to bring that knowledge into the classroom to share with her students.