Dr. Corliss Johnson

Corliss Johnson has devoted his professional life to jazz education as a teacher, clinician and performer.  He has performed with the Johnson McKinney Quartet for more than twenty years, served as a jazz adjudicator in a variety of local and regional settings, and given clinics throughout the Midwest.

He serves as an adjudicator for the South Dakota All State Jazz Ensembles, and has been the jazz ensemble director for the All State Music Camp since 1981.

For several years, Johnson chaired the Jazz Education column for the South Dakota Musician and in that capacity, penned more than 40 articles on various aspects of jazz education.

He has taught improvisation at music camps and at the University level, and has performed formal jazz recitals with James McKinney for nearly 20 years.

Johnson holds the Bachelor of Music Education and  Master of Science in  Music degrees from Emporia State University (Emporia, Kansas), and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Colorado (Boulder, Colorado).