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Douglas Johnson

Classical/progressive bassist, composer and improviser

About Me

Douglas Johnson is a bassist and composer based in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Northwestern University, where he studied with Jeff Bradetich and earned a Bachelors Degree in Music Performance. Doug was also a Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Institute and the Bach Aria Festival, and is an active orchestral and chamber musician. He is also bandleader of the progressive free improvisational group Gunnelpumpers.

As a composer, Doug has written music for the River North Chicago Dance Company and the Dutch National Ballet Project, and a 15-minute soundtrack for a Quay Brothers silent film (not sponsored by said brothers) scored for violin, viola, clarinet, horn, piano and percussion. Doug also completed and, as the soloist, premiered the middle movement of the Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra in D minor, which is 1/3 completed. He has written string arrangements for a number of recording projects, most recently for the singer Maddy Meyer.

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