Kevin Johnson is a multi-instrumentalist, published author, and music director from Buffalo, New York. He is currently touring internationally with Cirque du Soleil’s production of “KOOZA,” where he's performed for approximately 2 million people across five continents.
 
Known for his versatility, Johnson has a performance background that spans multiple genres. As a classical and orchestral player, Johnson has appeared with the Columbus, Owensboro, and Carmel Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Cleveland Orchestra’s Blossom Festival Band. As a jazz and commercial player, he has performed an extensive list of musical theatre productions across the nation, accompanied Grammy award-winning vocal jazz ensemble the New York Voices at the renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center, and has shared the stage with Broadway sensation Ciara Reneé at 54 Below in New York City. Before joining Cirque du Soleil, Johnson traveled throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and the East Coast of the United States and Canada as a showband musician for Carnival Cruise Line.

In addition to his life as a performer, Johnson has a passion for directing, arranging, and composing music. Working with DownBeat jazz education hall of famer Steven Zegree, Johnson held the position of bandleader and arranger of the Singing Hoosiers. Johnson’s unaccompanied trumpet piece “The Seventh Trumpet” was released on Cleveland Orchestra member Jack Sutte’s 2014 album, Fanfare Alone. Partnering with the world’s largest sheet music company, Hal Leonard Corporation, Johnson has published two books: The Beatles