Phillip Johnston

Phillip Johnston (born January 22, 1955) is an American saxophonist, composer, and author.

Johnston was born in Chicago, Illinois, on January 22, 1955, and raised in the New York City area.

During the 1970s he met and formed relationships with some of his earliest musical associates (John Zorn, Joel Forrester, David Hofstra, Eugene Chadbourne), and moved often between San Francisco and New York City.

He came to prominence in the 1980s as co-founder of The Microscopic Septet and went on to write extensively for films, particularly new scores for classic silent films from the early 20th Century.

In 1980 he settled in New York, and soon formed his first ongoing music groups, The Public Servants (with vocalist Shelley Hirsch) and The Microscopic Septet (with pianist Joel Forrester).

Throughout the 80s and 90s and early 2000s, he worked as a leader (The Microscopic Septet, Big Trouble, Transparent Quartet), co-leader and sideperson (Mikel Rouse, Kitty Brazelton, Bobby Radcliff, Rachelle Garniez, Guy Klucevsek, Walter Thompson, Keely Garfield, & Nora York), and began a parallel career in composition for film, theatre, dance and the concert hall.

He has a particular interest in contemporary scores for silent film.

In 2005, he moved with his wife, Australian playwright Hilary Bell, and their two children to Sydney, Australia.

From that time, he has continued to live and perform in Sydney, but travels regularly to New York and Europe to perform, collaborate and record.

His collaborators in Australia have included Lloyd Swanton, Chris Abrahams, Alister Spence, Sandy Evans, Paul Cutlan, Peter Dasent, Matt McMahon, Jex Saarelaht, James Greening, Tim Rollinson and many others.

He led or co-led the groups The Greasy Chicken Orchestra, Phillip Johnston & The Coolerators, SNAP, & Tight Corners, and performed at festivals and venues nationally.

The Microscopic Septet (with Joel Forrester)