He studied at The Cornish School from 1931-38 with Berthe Poncy Jacobson and at the University of Washington from 1938-42 with George McKay.
[1] His one-act chamber opera A Letter to Emily (1951) was runner up for the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1952.
[2] Regarding an incident in the life of poet Emily Dickinson, the libretto was adapted by the composer from the play Consider the Lilies by Robert Hupton.
[3] Johnson returned to Seattle in 1962 to become head of the music department at The Cornish School, remaining in that position until 1969.
[4] He founded Puget Music Publications in 1970, devoted to publishing works by composers from the American Northwest.