Our Pianist
Howard Johnson
Howard Johnson is a retired Professor of Music. During his more than twenty years at Yuba College he taught music theory, music history, piano, and jazz studies. His professional degrees include Bachelors of Music Education and Master of Music from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While working on his doctoral studies at the University of North Texas, he was a teaching fellow. His teaching experience includes public school vocal and instrumental music in Nebraska, professorships at both the University of Northern Iowa and Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. He has an extensive background in accompanying activities including oratorio, opera, art song, and jazz. He has appeared as a soloist with numerous symphony orchestras, accompanied musical theatre productions, and various solo artists. He was the Chorus Master for the Omaha Civic Opera and pianist for the same organization.
Marian Metson
Marian Metson recently retired after sixteen years as Organist and Director of Music at First Lutheran Church in Yuba City. She currently is the Choir Director at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Rocklin. Previously, she held positions as Assistant Organist at Memorial Church, Harvard University, as Director of Music at Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, D. D., and Belleville Congregational Church in Newburyport, Massachusetts. From 1981 to 1993 she taught organ at Boston University and performed frequently in the Boston area. She holds degrees from Baldwin Wallace College, Boston University, and pursued additional study with Anton Heiller in Vienna, Austria.
For the past thirty years Marian has been a champion for American organ music as well as historic American organs. She has recorded for the Raven label organ works of twentieth century composers, Ernst Bacon and John Cook, as well as surveys of historic organs in Newburyport, Massachusetts (Yankee, Come Home! ) and the Boston area (Christmas Rhapsody), all enthusiastically received by critics and public alike.
Marian is a frequent recitalist for national conventions of the Organ Historical Society and has played for national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists. In 2009 she was asked to participate in the homage to Anton Heiller series of concerts held at Old West Church in Boston.