James Johnston started playing the violin in 6th grade in his local public middle school in suburban Atlanta, Georgia. The opportunity to learn an instrument changed the trajectory of his life and education has remained a focal point of his life’s work. He is currently the orchestra director at Greenville High School. The GHS orchestra has consistently earned Superior ratings at festivals and received the Outstanding Performance Award for the past 3 years.

Mr. Johnston is an active member of the Greenville Symphony and has performed with the orchestra since 2006. His teachers include Lisa Morrison and Sonja Foster in Atlanta and Christian Teal at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in violin performance. He has a master’s degree in music education from North Greenville University. Mr. Johnston lives in Greenville with his wife Jennifer, an English teacher, and their son Jameson.