Kynan Johns, conductor

"Incisive... first rate... brilliant" - New York TImes
"His direction breathes theater... attentive to the singer, lively, aerial and sensual" - Le Monde de la Musique

A protégé of Maestro Lorin Maazel, Kynan Johns has conducted over 100 orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, and Vienna Chamber Orchestra. He has worked at Covent Garden, conducted at La Scala, and worked with Maazel and Mehta for four seasons at the Palau de les Arts (Opera House) in Spain. In addition to complete Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss and Mahler cycles his opera credits include Don Giovanni, Madame Butterfly, Luisa Miller, Don Carlos, Turn of the Screw, La Boheme, Traviata, Faust, Adés's Powder Her Face & Offenbach's Perichole.

Click here for Reviews

 

"Kynan Johns al frente de la Neychors-Orquestra Classica Santa Cecilia, dirigo disfrutando de la esfera Sonora, con la 'Sinfonia No.3, Escocesa' de F. Mendelssohn, donde trazo de maravilla sus amplios dibujos sonorous que resultaron nitidos y bien coloreados. Entrada perfecta en ese traicionero 'pizzicato' inicial del adagio y magnificamente aprovechado el sonido en todos los pasajes con volume orquestral crecido, dando contraste a los logradisimos claroscuros melodicos que ofrece esta sinfonia"

- Luis Alfonso Bes, Spain

"Kynan Johns' grasp of Gounod's long indulgent melodic lines is entrancing"

- Ewart Shaw, Advertiser

"Most of all it was Kynan Johns directing the Adelaide Symphony orchestra that best understood the sensibility of Gounod's music. The warmth, cohesiveness and lyrical openness he brought to the score were exceptional"

- Graham Strahle, The Australian

“Johns’ maintained taut control... with impressive precision and exhilarating dramatic power... extraordinary”

- David Vance, Sydney Morning Herald


“Johns was at his best as an accompanist. The Australian conductor grasps well the art of shading interior textures and weaving an orchestra in and out of a soloist’s line”... “Johns is calm and uses small motions on the podium. He has a fluid conducting style that translates to richer legato passages, seemed in perfect control of the architecture and pacing of each work, and got better balances between sections”

- Willa J. Conrad, The Star Ledger


"incisively conducted.... taut... first rate... brilliant"

- Zachary Wolfe, New York Times


“The best surprise in this Don Giovanni remains Kynan Johns, a young Australian who replaces him (Maazel) in the pit. Lively, aerial, sensual, attentive to the singers, his direction breathes theatre and makes the best profit of an excellent orchestra”

- Pablo Galonce, Le Monde de la Music


“Johns’ gave the audience an experience rarely seen or heard in this area. Majestically, he took another turn to shine, make that glisten with Brahms 4, giving the strings a ‘rich lucidity’”

- Dick Jaeger, Lafayette, Indiana


“a powerfully dramatic reading from the very free and effective opening bassoon solo to the evocative English horn work to the crashing conclusion. “Le Sacre (du Printemps by Stravinsky) was so outstanding”

 “Johns had the balances so perfectly aligned that every dot of color was glisteningly in place.”

- Paul Somers, Classical New Jersey


"Kynan Johns preceded the LSO in a powerful sounding interpretation of Sibelius 2nd symphony where the poetic atmosphere came forward beautifully. The tempo of the Scherzo contrasted excellent against the cornerpieces and the introvert andante."

- Peter Graven, Limburg Dagblad


“Simply put, [Susan Starr] and Johns collaborated in a performance that was magic”

“Johns revealed himself as a fine accompanist” “A sense of refinement marked the interpretation (of Pines of Rome)…It was a great artistic stroke”

- Don Martone, Classical New Jersey


“Vital, delicate and uplifting…Conductor Kynan Johns breathed life into a symphony by JC Bach”

- Elizabeth Bailes, Mercury


“Kynan Johns... got vitality and polish from the players with his effusive style”

- Hanno Fairburn, The Daily Post


“simply magic… Johns’ conducting was economical and vital. He produced exciting dynamics and brisk tempi and was always in control”

- James Whimster, Bay of Plenty Times