Charles Anthony Johnson received his M. A. in composition and his Ph. D in musicology from the University of California in Los Angeles. As a student he played violin and viola in The Stockton Symphony, University of Pacific, and UCLA orchestras, performing with Roger Wagner, Lukas Foss, Jan Popper and others, and was Assistant Conductor of the UCLA orchestra.

From 1967 to 1978, Dr. Johnson was on the faculty of Sam Houston State University, where he taught music history and theory and conducted the orchestra. While there, he established and was member of the faculty string quartet, and from 1974 to 1978 was conductor of the Bryan-College Station Chamber Orchestra.

Dr. Johnson was a violist with the Houston Ballet Orchestra from 1973 to 2013 and has also performed with such groups and artists as the American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Nacionale de Cuba, Royal Ballet, Royal Canadian Ballet, Eva Marton, Jose Carerras, and others. Starting  with the upcoming 2023 – 2024 Season, Dr. Johnson will be in his 43rd season as Conductor and Music Director of The Clear Lake Symphony and was for six years the Conductor and Music Director of the Houston Civic Symphony. Dr. Johnson has been a guest conductor of the Houston Ballet and has conducted in Spain, Poland, and the Czech Republic. He has made recordings with The Bohuslav Martinu Symphony and The Neuremberg Symphoniker.