Welcome

"...smooth-running, well-organized, sonically and musically superior event, put on by some truly lovely people."

EMM: October 24-26, 2013 @ Kansas City Kansas Community College

2013 EMM Guest Artist: Kari Johnson

"…Johnson played beautifully, displaying a firm musicality and a flair for drama."

"…her sensitivities rather extraordinary, baroque while futuristic."

www.acousticmusic.com

Kari Johnson is a pianist who specializes in new music and electronic music performance. Praised by critics for her "amazing musicality" and "flair for drama," Ms. Johnson works to create a dynamic, captivating experience for her audience. Like most pianists, Johnson began her training in traditional classical repertoire. Throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies, she developed an interest in playing rarely performed and highly stylized works, particularly music of the early baroque and late twentieth century. In 2008 she received an offer to participate in UMKC's Musica Nova as a scholarship member, and began to specialize in new music. This shift in aesthetic allows her to work with many composers, both "up-and-coming" and established. Ms. Johnson has performed at a variety of venues, including EMM, SEAMUS, EABD, the 2011 Thailand International Composition Festival, the Electro Acoustic Juke Joint, Montana State University, Western Michigan University, and Washington State University. In 2012 Ms. Johnson released her first commercial CD through the record label Irritable Hedgehog. This recording of Scott Blasco's Queen of Heaven has received positive critical review.

In addition to her active performing schedule, Ms Johnson is on the faculty of Avila University, where she teaches applied piano. She also maintains a large pre-college teaching studio, both privately and through the UMKC Community Music and Dance Academy. She is an active adjudicator and presenter, participating in events at Kansas City area schools and through the Kansas City Music Teachers Association.

Ms. Johnson is currently a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She holds a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Bowling Green State University, and a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from Central Missouri State University. She studied harpsichord with Charlotte Mattax, and her primary piano instructors include John McIntyre, Timothy Ehlen, Robert Satterlee, and Mia Hynes.

About EMM

Electronic Music Midwest is dedicated to programming of a wide variety of electroacoustic music and providing the highest quality performance of electronic media. This annual festival consists of approximately nine short concerts (about 1 hour in length) over the course of a weekend in Autumn. Our goal is to bring together vibrant and interesting artists of all forms, give them a vehicle for their expressions, and a place for them to share ideas with others.

EMM is the result of a consortium formed in 2002 between Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC), Lewis University, and the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Officially formed in 2002, this festival was founded by Mike McFerron, Connie Mayfield, and Paul Rudy in 2000 when it was presented at KCKCC under the name "Kansas City Electronic Music Festival." In 2001, the festival continued at Lewis University under the title, "Electronic Music at Lewis - 2001."

EMM has always featured an 8-speaker surround diffusion system under the guidance of Ian Corbett. The core of the system are eight Mackie 1521 bi-amped speakers, an EAW/QSC subwoofer system, and a Soundcraft MH3, 32+4 Channel mixer (named "Emily"). Due to Ian's expertise, many visiting composers comment that EMM is one of smoothest run festivals they have ever attended.

Since its beginning, EMM has programmed over 500 new electroacoustic compositions. Composers have traveled from around the world to graciously share their music with audiences in the Midwest. However, EMM is about more than just playing new music. We strive to create an environment conducive to building community interaction. Most concerts are approximately one hour long, and composers have plenty of time to "talk shop" with each other as well as interact socially with students and audience members.