Bach Society hires new director

By Tim Spitzack | Editor | February 2025

St. Paul-based Bach Society of Minnesota (BSM), one of the first organizations in North America to advance the work and legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach, has named Grant Johnson as its new executive director. He succeeds Dr. Yunyue Liu, who has held the position since 2017 and is now the organization’s operations director.

Johnson has been executive director of Denver-based St. Martin’s Chamber Choir since 2022 and will continue in that role while also working with BSM. He is a professional violinist and orchestra librarian. He was previously a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Phoenix Symphony and served as interim executive director of the Reading Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania. He has also held library positions with the Minnesota Bach Ensemble and Aspen Music Festival, and has worked in various capacities with the Atlanta Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

bach society director Grant Johnson — Grant Johnson

“As a native Minnesotan, I am honored to be joining the Bach Society of Minnesota as executive director,” said Johnson in a statement. “The rich history of high artistic standards, as well as newer initiatives like the Mobile Mini-Concerts and Outside the Box series, show the diverse showcasings that the Bach Society has to offer. I look forward to partnering with the musicians, staff, board of directors, and most importantly directly with the community to continue to bring our great music to Minnesota.”

In his youth, Johnson was a member of the Minnesota Boychoir, touring and recording with them extensively. He served as vice president of the Young Musicians of Minnesota, and as a student at the University of Minnesota was concertmaster for multiple orchestras. Johnson plays regularly with many Colorado ensembles including the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, Boulder Philharmonic, Fort Collins Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, and frequently serves as guest concertmaster with the Boulder Symphony. He specializes in baroque organ music and has appeared as a featured performer for the American Guild of Organists.

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The 2025 Minnesota Bach Festival takes place February 28-March 30 at venues around the Twin Cities. For more information on the following performances, visit www.bachsocietymn.org.

February 28-March 1 – Mobile Mini-Concerts
March 8-9 – Your Voice – a Community Sing-along!
March 9 – Mozart Requiem
March 22 – Celebrate the Birthday! (Master Class on Bach’s Keyboard Music followed by Community Concert)
March 29 – Bach & Friends Workshop
March 30 – Baroque Tango: Rhythms of Desire, Longing and Passion
Bach Society of Minnesota was founded in 1932 and is headquartered at 275 E 4th St. in downtown St. Paul. It promotes world-class performances with period instruments and historical performance practices that evoke the depths and passions of Bach’s compositions.

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