Tom Johnson has long been considered by many as the father of the Minimalist movement in music. A Yale College and Yale University graduate and student of Morton Feldman his compositions and writings have influenced three generations. 

An American expatriate living in Paris over 50 years his birthday seemed an appropriate moment to have a retrospective of his work in the form of a concert involving the talented international artists of the next generation of the 21c, who would interpret his music within the context of our contemporary times. 

Active professional musicians from all over the world including several recent Yale a School of Music graduates joined with members of the Academy of Beaux Arts to present this Tom Johnson Birthday Tribute sponsored Steinway and Sons International. 

The program was chosen by Tom Johnson in dialogue with the various participating soloists and ensembles and took place at the prestigious Steinway Paris Auditorium before a sold-out, standing room-only audience of music lovers. The public uniquely blended new music enthusiasts with writers, politicians, Yale graduates living in Paris, well-known composers, professors, professional musicians and institutional directors. 

The event was a remarkable testimony to the talent, visionary creativity of Tom Johnson as well as a remarkable confirmation of classical music’s extraordinary ability to intimately bring together diverse sections of the community. 

The evening ended with a birthday gift in the form of the premiere of a new work by Regis Campo combining the pioneering technology of Steinway Spirio in an ensemble duet with a traditional live performer and dedicated to Tom Johnson and his indelible legacy. 

Tom Johnson passed away on 31 December, 2024.