Guy Johnston

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Guy Johnston

Insights into the musical life of a wandering minstrel

02/10/2026

Enid Blyton’s beloved fantasy series, Faraway Tree, features a giant, whispering tree at the edge of an enchanted wood whose topmost branches lead to magical, ever-changing lands. The tree may well be over 300 years old, which is a similar age to my Stradivarius cello and the Bach Suite I performed. Thank you Hamish Shephard and Rosie for a memorable day at Hedsor celebrating 100 unique minds and souls including inspirational talks from Roman Krznaric, Jonathan Mallow, Jake Humphrey, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Alexander Browder, Dev Sharma, Chandra Donelson, Issam Kazim, Dan Bennett, and Jenny Wordsworth.

20/09/2026

I’ve just had the pleasure of performing works by Beethoven, Schubert and Mendelssohn with Melvyn Tan at Ightham Mote for the Music at Malling festival. Here’s Melvyn playing some F***y Mendelssohn in a 14th century home on a 19th century piano alongside my 17th century cello and 18th century bow. We also got to see a special original letter written by Mendelssohn found recently in the attic. The mind boggles!

Ikon Arts Management J & A Beare Larsen Strings European String Teachers Association (ESTA UK) Hatfield House Music Festival Nicky Thomas Media British Cello Society Royal Academy of Music

18/09/2026

We just performed and recorded the Britten Cello Symphony!! Thank you Royal Liverpool Philharmonic for such a thrilling journey over the past few days.

Ikon Arts Management J & A Beare Larsen Strings European String Teachers Association (ESTA UK) Hatfield House Music Festival Nicky Thomas Media British Cello Society Royal Academy of Music

17/09/2026

Remembering dear Bruno Schrecker who recently passed away. I was lucky to spend time with Bruno over the last few years, putting the world to rights and exploring the Bach Suites together. I managed to connect Bruno with Vivien Mackie only a few months before she left us, and it was a joy to hear them reminiscing about their time with Casals in Prades.

There will be an article in the The Strad soon celebrating the 150th anniversary of Casals’ birth. The Casals lineage is slowly departing, and we need to do all we can to keep his legacy alive.

16/09/2026

The new season has begun! This month, I’m back with the wonderful Royal Liverpool Philharmonic performing and recording Britten’s Cello Symphony this week. Next week, I’ll be off to Opera North for the ORIGINAL set of theme and variations by Tchaikovsky, then to Music at Malling for a recital with Melvyn Tan, including works by Beethoven, Schubert, and Mendelssohn, and then onto Armenia to perform the Elgar with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra. Much to keep me busy and distracted over the coming weeks! I’m very much looking forward to seeing friends along the way and for all the new experiences ahead.

Ikon Arts Management J & A Beare Larsen Strings European String Teachers Association (ESTA UK) Hatfield House Music Festival Nicky Thomas Media British Cello Society Royal Academy of Music

02/09/2026

A little outside concert at the end of our holiday with friends in Tuscany. Back home now for the new season preparing for concerts this month with Liverpool Philharmonic, Opera North

28/08/2026

Thank you Family Violin Makers for inviting us into your beautiful shop in Florence. It was great to see where all the magic happens.

27/08/2026

Some Bach captured during a recital at the last week in Tuscany, Italy

15/08/2026

A special afternoon spent making music, celebrating and remembering Francis and Jane Cowan. Whilst I didn’t ever meet Jane, my teachers quoted her most lessons. A lasting legacy and one that continues 30 years on.

29/07/2026

Hope at the end of the Britten Cello Symphony last night. The struggle is worth every ounce for those final bars! A surreal and exhilarating experience of an extraordinary work. Thank you BBC Symphony Orchestra and Oramo for such a warm and supportive collaboration. It was a joy and privilege to be back at the BBC Proms, and extra special to have the opportunity to share my experience of performing Britten’s Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra at the Proms, aged 16, conducted by Rostropovich with The National Youth Orchestra. I ended by playing the final coda of Britten’s 3rd Suite in their memory, including the Kantakion which is a Russian Orthodox Byzantine Chant for the Dead.

Ikon Arts Management J & A Beare Larsen Strings European String Teachers Association (ESTA UK) Hatfield House Music Festival Nicky Thomas Media British Cello Society Royal Academy of Music

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