Michelle Smith Johnson,                               clarinet

Michelle Smith Johnson — clarinetist, accomplished music educator, lecturer, and clinician — is currently serving in her fifteenth year as a middle and elementary school orchestra director with Roanoke City Public Schools. Due to her outstanding achievements in music education and her positive impact on the lives of her students, Michelle was honored as John P. Fishwick Middle School’s 2014 Teacher of the Year and received the Superintendent’s Award in 2022.

In addition to her work in public schools, Michelle serves as Instructor of Clarinet at Radford University. As an active performer, she appears regularly with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and has performed in a wide range of solo, chamber, and orchestral settings throughout Virginia. Michelle is passionate about showcasing diverse voices through music, frequently collaborating on projects that highlight new and historically underrepresented composers.

Michelle is also a co-founder of Alma Ensemble, a dynamic chamber group committed to championing music by women and other historically marginalized composers. With Alma Ensemble, Michelle performs across the region, presenting engaging concerts, educational programs, and lecture-recitals that connect music, history, and social advocacy.

She holds degrees in Clarinet Performance and Music Education from Radford University, as well as a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

In her spare time, Michelle enjoys traveling, golf, gardening, DIY home-improvement projects, cooking, and spending time with her husband Sheldon and their two Shih Tzu rescues, Song and Justine.

Questions for Michelle? Email her at michelle@almaensemble.org