Scott Johnson Obituary

Scott Johnson was an American composer.

Johnson was known for his use of recorded speech as musical melody, and his distinctive crossing of American vernacular and art music traditions, making extensive use of electric guitar in concert work and adapting popular music structures for art music genres such as the string quartet.

He was the recipient of a 2006 Guggenheim fellowship, and a 2015 American Academy of Arts and Letters Award.

Johnson was a vocal proponent of opening the classical tradition to influences derived from living popular music. He gave talks on this aspect of his work at major universities and conservatories, and his extended essay, The Counterpoint of Species looks at the evolution of musical styles through the lens of Darwinian principles.

He died on March 24, 2023, at the age of 70.