Bradley Johnson

Bradley Johnson is a London-based classical guitarist and mandolin player, and the Artistic Director of the Wimbledon classical Guitar Society (WiGS), where he organises and hosts their concert series. WiGS is partnered with the Royal College of Music - one of the world's leading conservatoires, based in London, and brings together guitar enthusiasts of all levels, from complete beginners to seasoned performers, fostering a vibrant community of players in the Wimbledon area. His love for contemporary music led him to win first place in the Ivor Mairants Guitar Award - a competition named after one of Britain's most celebrated guitar teachers and a cornerstone of the UK guitar world, with Classical Guitar Magazine praising his playing for its "strongly formed musical ideas and natural spontaneity." He went on to perform at International Guitar Research Conference in 2016. He trained at two of the UK's most prestigious music conservatoires. At the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, he studied under Craig Ogden, one of Britain's most prominent classical guitarists and a celebrated recording artist in his own right, graduating with a First-Class Honours degree. He then completed advanced studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London (one of the world's oldest and most respected music schools) founded in 1822 under Professor Michael Lewin, graduating with Distinction in 2019. He was awarded the DipRAM, an honour given only to the Academy's most outstanding performers, and reserved for a handful of graduates each year. During his time there, he won the Guitar Concerto Prize with Malcolm Arnold's Guitar Concerto (originally written for Julian Bream) studied on a full scholarship, and contributed newly commissioned recordings to the Academy's 200th anniversary project. Beyond performing, Bradley has been a member of the Worshipful Company of Musicians since 2018 - one of London's historic livery companies, ancient institutions dating back to medieval trade guilds that today serve as professional fellowships and charitable organisations. He was also recognised as a young artist of distinction by the International Guitar Foundation from 2021, a global body dedicated to promoting the classical guitar worldwide.