Bonnie Johansen-Werner is a composer of sacred keyboard and instrumental works, plus a composer of sacred and secular choral and vocal works. Her music has interesting twists, with a touch of blues in the midst of contemporary classical sounds. Her biggest strength is she loves to write and take on new projects. (Her biggest flaw is that she is always working on new music and does not get completed works edited to share!)

Her compositions are deeply influenced by her experience as a teacher, worship leader, and keyboard performer. Her immersion in scripture and sacred poetry leads her to texts that speak to the world. Her organ skills coupled with strong interest in orchestration lead her into new sounds from the keyboard. And her work with instrumentalists has presented her with hands on experience writing for woodwind, brass and percussionists.

Sundt Organ at Luther College
Bonnie Johansen-Werner at the Sundt Organ at Luther College

One of her most interesting released works (available on her website) is Jesus Meets the Devil, a set of five organ works on Matthew 4:1-11. The score is available on this website and each movement can be heard on youtube:

  1. Into the Wilderness (Lonesome Valley)
  2. Forty Days and Forty Nights
  3. Command These Stones
  4. Throw Yourself Down
  5. A Very High Mountain

Among several major projects underway is Instrumental Caroling Festival for organ, audience, and any group of instruments. This set of 13 carols has been used for two years and is now in its second revision. Parts are composed for woodwind, brass, and string instruments. Each instrument has melody and harmony parts, plus an optional stanza with ornamentation. The music may be performed strictly as written, or can be reconfigured to fit a specific set of instruments. Complete instructions for use accompany the music. Publication date is currently undetermined.

 

Some major performances of Ms. Johansen-Werner’s compositions include: 

-Lo, How a Rose [Upper Iowa University, 1998]

-Good Christian Friends, Rejoice [Grace UMC, Naperville, 2013]

-Where Are Our Friends? [Ames, IA, Children’s Choir] 

-Sing We Now of Christmas [University of St. Francis, 2016]

-Il Est Nee for tuba and clarinet [First United Methodist Church, Lockport, IL, 2016]

-I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad [Kankakee Valley Piano Camp, 2015 and

                                                            JAMTA Ensemble Recital, 2016]

-The Lord is My Shepherd for organ [First United Methodist Church, 2017]