Cornelius V. Johnson III

Cornelius V. Johnson III has enjoyed a diverse career in higher education and music. He is currently an Associate Professor of Music and Chair of the Humanities Department at Olive-Harvey College, City Colleges of Chicago. His teaching focuses on applied music, American popular culture, choral music, general music education, and world music. His research interests include African American classical music, particularly operas by African American composers. Endeavoring to strengthen the role of the humanities on campus, he led the establishment of the Annual Humanities Festival at Olive-Harvey College. 

As a performer, his repertoire encompasses art song, musical theatre, opera, and various styles of sacred and popular music. He has sung with such organizations as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, the Opera Bastille in Paris, La Scala in Milan, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Teatro Real in Madrid, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in NYC. A frequent concert artist, recent engagements include performances at Chicago’s Symphony Center, The Cleveland Museum of Art, and Oberlin Conservatory. 

Cornelius received the Bachelor of Arts in Music from Morehouse College, the Master of Music in Voice and Opera from Northwestern University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Active in the community, he is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and serves on the Advisory Board of the African American Network of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He and his wife enjoy traveling and new adventures.