Mr. Johnny Walker, Jr

Johnny Walker, Jr is a professional musician in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. He started playing the cello as a beginner with the DC Youth Orchestra Program at 10 years old. His love of music and hard work allowed him to excel in the program. He earned the position of principal cellist of the Youth Orchestra at the age of 15. Johnny was also the principal cellist of the Thomas Pullen (K-8) Creative and Performing Arts School, the Chesapeake Youth Orchestra, and the Suitland High School’s Center for the Visual and Performing Arts’ String and Chamber Orchestras.

Johnny has earned many awards and performed at some of the most prestigious venues in Washington, DC. Some of the venues include the Kennedy Center, the White House, the Carter Barron Amphitheater, the Atlas Theater, the Lincoln Theater, the Smithsonian Zoo, National Museum of African American History and Culture. He has also traveled to and performed internationally in the Bahamas and Canada.

Johnny received his Bachelors of Arts in Music Performance from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. While at UMBC, he continued to perform as a freelance musician in the Baltimore—Washington Metropolitan area and internationally. He has participated in the Endless Mountain Music Festival, the inaugural season of Festival Baltimore, and the Colour of Music Festival. After receiving his BA degree, Johnny has performed with several Grammy award-winning artists such as, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Esperanza Spalding, Muni Long, Yolanda Adams, the Eagles, Smokey Robinson, and Vanessa Williams. He has also performed and collaborated with the Bel Canto Singers of the Bahamas, Larry Graham and Graham Central Station, the Lancaster, McLean, Mid-Atlantic, and Soulful Symphonies, the United States Air Force Band, the Oakwood University’s Gospel Choir, Snoh Aalegra, Jessie Reyez, Tracie Spencer, Shanice, Machel Montano, MC Lyte, Camp Lo, Kem, DJ D-Nice, Jadakiss, and the Matt Jones Orchestra.

Currently, Johnny runs his own private studio and teaches at multiple programs in the DC metropolitan area. He is a member of the Suzuki Association of America, and teaches cello at Northwestern High School’s CVPA program, Levine Music, the Richardson School of Music, and Just Rock Enterprises. Johnny is also a lead strings teaching artist and instrument manager for the Washington Performing Arts’ Capital Strings program. Whenever he is not teaching, Johnny performs with the DC Strings Workshop, his band Kontrolled Khaos, and independently as a freelancer across the country.

Through the years, his primary cello teachers have been Élise Sharpe, Gunnery Sergeant Denna Purdie (Ret.), Gita Ladd, and Dr. Andrea Yun. He has participated in masterclasses held by Carlos Prieto, Norman Fischer, Emanuel Gruber, Michael Kannen, Richard Belcher, and Claude Hauri of Trio des Alpes.