Guest conductor Jeri Lynne Johnson brought out the energy and passion of the Thornton Chamber Orchestra Friday evening. Bovard Auditorium was flooded with classical sounds as the ensemble played with precision and artistry, constantly playing in unison and giving depth to the music.

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

Johnson was described by the Los Angeles Times as a “stunning and rhythmically vital conductor” after leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic in November 2022 and is the founder and artistic director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, which emphasizes the combination of artistic excellence and cultural diversity in the interpretation of classical music.

Thornton Symphony artistic director Carl St. Clair invited her to conduct the ensemble after following its success, Johnson said.

“The staff, the school, all the time I’ve been here, everyone has been so gracious and so supportive,” Johnson said during the concert. “The students in this orchestra are simply wonderful young musicians, so talented, so dedicated and so hardworking. It was a real pleasure to work with them.

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

“They are 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 be able to immediately execute it at a very high level.”

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

“Creating real music, taking those black and white notes off the page and giving them three dimensions in the real world requires a lot of imagination and creativity,” Johnson said. “Relying only on what you see on the page is not enough to achieve professional accuracy. »

One approach Johnson said she takes when thinking about conducting is to avoid acting like a stereotypical conductor who doesn’t leave room for the creative contributions of the orchestra’s musicians.

“My approach has been that of a benevolent dictatorship if you will,” Johnson said. “I have a vision and we are going to implement it. But I also like to give musicians, especially during solos within the orchestra, the opportunity to let their voices shine. Let their vision of what they play be heard.

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

“She’s very passionate,” Papazyan said. “I love his style. She has so many great ideas, and I was constantly impressed by the kind of advice she gave us and the things she wanted us to emphasize in the music.

Thanks to Johnson’s instructions and the ensemble’s hard work, Papazyan said, the concert went off without a hitch.

“Before that, because it’s an obscure Beethoven symphony that isn’t played as much as the others, I didn’t think much of it,” Papazyan said. “After working with her, I gained a new perspective. I have a great appreciation now.

Concertmaster Anna Renton is a senior violin performance major and first-year master’s student. She said she feels fortunate to be able to learn from extraordinary conductors like Johnson and Sharon Lavery, resident conductor of several of Thornton’s 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 it’s truly amazing.”

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

“Leadership and excellence come in many shapes, sizes, colors, beliefs, etc.,” Johnson said. “Excellence in leadership is as diverse as the human population. »

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

“It was a famous quote from Mahler who said: ‘A symphony must reflect the world.’ It has to contain everything,” Johnson said. “When I founded my orchestra, I sort of decided that an orchestra should reflect the world; it must contain everyone. For me, an orchestra is not just a musical ensemble; it is a worldview.