Performances & Events

September 22, 2025

4:00 PM ET

Staff Moderator: LaRob K. Rafael 

Featured Speakers: Shawn Johnson & Jasmine (Moni) Guo

EarShot Readings are the first systemic program connecting composers with orchestras, providing the unique opportunity to rehearse and interact with large ensembles in a way that many composers never have. This webinar, featuring two previous EarShot Readings participants, will offer insights on the application process and outcomes of this program.

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REGISTRATION LINK

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Shawn Johnson, a Virginia Beach native, studied Music Theory and Composition at Old Dominion University and East Carolina University. He studied Composition with composers such as Adolphus Hailstork, Andrey Kasparov, and Edward Jacobs. Johnson grew up listening to popular styles such as R&B, Hip-Hop, Rock, and Jazz, among others. He works to infuse key elements from those styles into his music. In addition, he works to have a keen understanding of the concepts related to popular music. He wrote his Master’s Thesis on the music of the Pulitzer Prize Winning Artist, Kendrick Lamar. 

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Moni (Jasmine) Guo (b. 1993) is a classical pianist, a contemporary concert composer and film composer from Taiyuan, Shanxi, China. She has appeared as both a performer and composer in Asia, Europe, South America, Canada, and the United States. As a composer, Jasmine is highly interested in using her music to encourage and comfort people around the world; moreover, she also hopes to use her music as a bridge between Western and Eastern culture.