Music Faculty
Emily Johnson
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Growing up in Kimberly, ID, Emily began singing at a young age. She started with piano lessons, sang in choir, took voice lessons and performed with a local community theatre. Emily attended Idaho State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with an Emphasis in Vocal Music. Most recently she directed Magic Valley Repertory Theatre's production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and JuMP Co.'s production of Alice in Wonderland, music directed JuMP Company's production of Guys and Dolls, Magic Valley Repertory Theatre's productions of Disenchanted and the Ovation Summer Intensive production of Les Miserables. For over 10 years, Emily has taught private voice lessons for students ages 8 years to adult. In 2014, Emily and Jared Johnson opened Ovation Performing Arts, where Emily serves as Director of Education and founder of Ovation On Stage, On Stage KIDS and the Ovation Summer Intensive. Together, Jared and Emily, have three beautiful, young children. Their family loves to sing and make music at home.
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Jared Johnson
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Growing up in the Magic Valley, Jared was always a performer. He started performing with JuMP Company and singing lessons when he was 14 and was hooked from that time on. He performed many roles in his youth including "Horton the Elephant" in Seussical and "The King" in the The King and I. He quickly found his niche in music and performance and went on to study Vocal Performance at Idaho State University. After earning his Bachelor of Music in 2012, he relocated with his family to Kansas City, MO where he earned his Master of Music in Vocal Performance. There he performed several leading roles in operas including "Frank Maurrant" in Street Scene and "Pandolfe" in Cendrillon. When hearing of an opportunity back home to start a performing arts program and revive the Orpheum Theatre, he took it! Jared continues to perform in operas and maintains a private voice studio with Ovation Performing Arts. He and his wife, Emily, have 3 young children and enjoy a very musical home!
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Ryker Harris
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Ryker began studying piano at age 8 with Donna Cox. He immediately fell in love with the instrument and began to take lessons very seriously. He chose to attend CSI in the fall of 2011, and study piano with Sue Miller. During this time he also performed with the CSI Swing Band and CSI Jazz Ensamble as well as being a frequent accompanist for the vocal studios of Carson Wong and Serena Jenkins-Clark, playing styles from classical to show tunes to pop music. Ryker was awarded the Music Student of the Year award in 2014. He then transferred to Idaho State University to study with accomplished pianist Dr. Kori Bond. Under her direction Ryker studied piano literature, pedagogy, collaboration, and private lessons. He graduated from ISU in 2017 with a B.M. in Piano Performance. Ryker’s current passions include pedagogy (the art of teaching), and performing both as a solo performer and collaborator with the voice and dance studios at Ovation Performing Arts as well as other community members. His hobbies include reading, gardening, beekeeping, watching movies and tv shows, composing and listening to music.
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Rachael
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Rachael Wilkinson grew up in The Magic Valley and started taking piano and voice lessons at the age of 7. She had her first major Theatre role at age 8, when she played The title role in Magic Valley Little Theatre’s production of Annie. She spent her adolescent and teenage years performing and learning music in places such as JuMP Company and Twin Falls High School Jive! She graduated from the University of Idaho with her Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education in December of 2018. While there, she studied Opera and Musical Theatre Performance under notorious tenor Christopher Pfund. She also found her passion for guitar and ukulele while attending University. A Twin Falls native, she has since been teaching K-5 Elementary General Music at IB Perrine Elementary School. She is heavily involved in community musical theatre, frequenting the stage with companies such as The Dilettantes of the Magic Valley, Magic Valley Little Theatre, and her favorite, Magic Valley Repertory Theatre. Every year since 2019, she has also co-directed musicals at Robert Stuart Middle School, Twin Falls High School, and Canyon Ridge High School. She is ecstatic to finally have her own private studio at Ovation Performing Arts, and will be teaching Voice, Piano, Guitar, and Ukulele. Some of her hobbies include reading, playing board games, and watching an unnatural amount of Criminal Minds
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