Alexander Johnson was a student in the Music Department of the University of Pretoria from 1987 to 2000. He studied piano with Joseph Stanford and composition with Henk Temmingh. In 1990 he attained the degree BMus (Performing Arts) from the University of Pretoria as well as the Performer's Licentiate in Music from the University of South Africa, both with distinction. His postgraduate studies were also completed at the University of Pretoria. He obtained the BMus (Hons)(Performing Arts) (cum laude) in 1991, an MMus in Composition (cum laude) in 1999, and a DMus in Composition in 2000.
After being awarded two national composition prizes from the Foundation for the Creative Arts in 1993 and 1994, Johnson moved to Belgrade, Serbia, where he composed his first Piano Concerto, Nish. This was performed in Nish, Serbia, by the Croatian pianist Dorian Leljak, accompanied by the Nish Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Anatoli Novitski. At this time, Johnson's Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano was also performed at the International Festival of Contemporary Music at the SAVA Centre in Belgrade.
Upon his return to South Africa in 1994, Johnson composed Monyanya, a Concerto for two pianos, violin, chorus and orchestra, commissioned by the Delegation of the European Union in South Africa for the first celebration of Europe Day in South Africa on 9 May 1995. In 1994, Johnson's Jazz Impromptu was the prescribed composition at the Seventh International UNISA-Transnet Piano Competition.
Johnson made his concerto debut as a pianist in 1990, playing Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand with the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, and broadcast live in South Africa. He has since performed as soloist with various orchestras in all the major concert venues in South Africa. Johnson also made several recordings as a pianist for the South African Broadcasting Corporation, both for radio and television.
His Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano was performed throughout Europe and South Africa by the French clarinetist Gilles Swierc.
In 1999, the University of Pretoria granted Johnson a scholarship to research his newly composed ballet, Thunderbird, based on a native Canadian myth. It was first performed in 2000 at the National State Theater in Pretoria. His Suite South Africa for violin and string orchestra was given its world premiere by the Lucerne Festival Strings in Pretoria in 2002.
Johnson is currently a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria, teaching harmony, counterpoint, form, analysis, piano pedagogy, composition and orchestration. Johnson is also the co-founder and director of the former Artium Symphony Orchestra.

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