Dale Johnson was named The Minnesota Opera's Artistic Director in 1994, after having served as the music administrator, chorus-master and artistic director of the company's touring and education program. Prior to coming to Minnesota in 1984, he was one of the nation’s foremost vocal coaches.
Dale chooses repertoire, performers, conductors, directors and designers as well as advising the President and CEO on all aspects of artistic planning. His commitment to new works has led The Minnesota Opera to such commissions as Libby Larsen's Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus, Evan Chen’s Bok Choy Variations and Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath. He also champions the cause of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire as evidenced by the Company’s productions of Glass’s and Moran’s The Juniper Tree, Antheil’s Transatlantic, Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, Sondheim’s Passion, Poul Ruders’ The Handmaid Tale, Adams’ Nixon in China, Petitgirard’s Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man and Jonathan Dove’s Pinocchio. In 2007, he announced a cutting-edge repertoire program which will include three world premieres and three revivals of major contemporary works over the next decade.
In 1998, Mr. Johnson was instrumental in the creation of The Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program, a training program for talented young singers.
An Ohio native, Mr. Johnson began piano lessons at an early age and also became accomplished at the French horn and organ. After college, he pursued the career of an opera coach. He was one of three pianists in the country to win a Gramma Fisher Fellowship to study at the American Institute for Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. He was also a recipient of a National Institute for Musical Theater opera coaching grant to study with legendary Metropolitan Opera Coach Joan Dornemann. He has served as coach and pianist for such companies as Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Wolf Trap Opera Festival, Opera Omaha Colorado Opera Festival and Lake George Opera. In summer 1999 he was asked by The Berkshire Opera Festival to create a young artist program along the lines of The Minnesota Opera RAP program. He has been a frequent judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and is a consultant for many other national opera competitions.