Maplewood resident releases composition for solo piano

MAPLEWOOD — Coinciding with Piano Day on March 28, township resident Virginia “Ginny” Johnston is releasing a composition, “Excursions” comprised of five distinct movements for solo piano, recorded with pianist Enriqueta Somarriba.

“With Excursions, I aimed to use both tonal and atonal harmonic palettes, fused with a lot of rhythmic energy, to evoke a range of emotions — including humor and playfulness,” said Johnston. “I wanted to find a harmonic palette that offers an ‘emotional cleanse’ and allows listeners to feel connected to and affected by the music.”

Johnson grew up in Summit, received her bachelor of music from Syracuse University and her master of music from Boston University in both composition and clarinet performance. She has also studied choral conducting at Westminster Choir College through its Continuing Education department.

As an actor, Johnston has stepped into many different roles through her work in improv comedy performing with Maplewood-based improv troupe “Whatever, Dad” since 2017 and community theater, recently receiving a 2023 NJACT Perry Nomination for Leading Actress for her role as Charlotte in the Summit-based Stony Hill Players’ production of “Moon Over Buffalo.”

In her latest composition, “Excursions,” the first movement, “With Energy,” is a tribute to the timeless spirit of perseverance embodied by the beloved story of “The Little Engine That Could.” In contrast, the second movement, “At A Distance,” takes listeners on a reflective exploration of space and time.

In addition to “Excursions,” Johnston has just released three other recordings of her works – “Introduction & Variation for Clarinet and Harp,” “Suite for Brass Trio,” and “Suite for Clarinet and Piano” – all of which are available for streaming on SoundCloud. Sheet music for Johnston’s compositions can be purchased on J.W. Pepper and Ethos Publications.

  Maplewood, Piano Day