Johnson-Pájaro, Carmen

Carmen Johnson-Pájaro

Violinist Carmen Lavada Johnson-Pájaro, native of Birmingham, Alabama, is a community-based artist living in New York City. Raised in a family of music lovers, Carmen began her musical studies with jam sessions in the living room and eventually found her way to the world of historical performance. She’s had the opportunity to work with renowned early music figures such as Masaaki Suzuki, William Christie, Reggie Mobley, Jonathan Cohen, Rachel Podger, Richard Egarr, Lionel Meunier, among many others. Recent highlights include performances with Les Arts Florissants, Valley of the Moon Music Festival, Early Music Access Project, and a residency at The Mount Sinai Hospital with a group she co-founded, Open Source Baroque. Carmen’s 2023/24 season includes performances with Twelfth Night, Repast Baroque, the Handel & Haydn Society, Washington Bach Consort, Staunton Music Festival, and more. She is one of the fellows for the inaugural cohort of the Handel & Haydn Stone Fellowship for the next two years. Beyond performing, Carmen’s commitment to community engagement has led to years of nonprofit work and work in schools, shelters, hospitals, and detention centers across the world. Carmen holds degrees from The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, and the Eastman School of Music, where she was a Lois Rogers and Links Scholar. Carmen is also a serious popcorn addict, podcast junkie, dog lover, and gym rat!