2-year-old Erika Johnson is a current graduate student at the famed Manhattan School of Music (MSM) in New York and a recent graduate of Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Vocal Performance, magna cum laude. Although Erika already has broad performance experience and myriad undergraduate accolades under her belt, her star has only just begun to shine as she dedicates more of herself to the liberation and impact of performing. Her passion for classical performance has allowed her to creatively thrive in many vocal programs and inspired her to vibrantly participate within classical vocal performance communities. During her undergraduate studies, Erika exposed her entire college campus to classical music through her own performances, resulting in her peers naming her Miss Florida A&M University. In that position, she had the privilege of performing at various events, galas, and festivals in the Dallas/Tallahassee community and across the country.​As Erika embarks on the next chapter of her life, she knows there is still much more to learn to excel in this industry. To that end, she chose to further her education and continue honing her vocal instrument at the graduate level.

Erika is studying at MSM under the direction of Canadian-born soprano, Joan Patenaude-Yarnell. In addition to being an educator, Patenaude-Yarnell has a successful career as an international vocalist. Her students have performed with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Opéra de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago and many more. Erika has no doubt the Manhattan School of Music graduate program will be a tremendous help as she strives to become an artist welcomed on national and international stages. Under Professor Patenaude-Yarnell’s tutelage she hopes to nurture and grow her vocal gift to cultivate a thriving life and career in the classical arts.​Erika has devoted nine years to meticulously developing fine control over her instrument. In that time, she has taken on numerous performance opportunities domestically and internationally. Her journey started in opera at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, one of the most prestigious schools of the arts in the U.S. During her sophomore year of college, Erika was fortunate to participate in the Varna International Music Academy’s (VIMA) Young Artist Summer Program in Varna, Bulgaria. The Program lets internationally acclaimed conductors, musicians, soloists, young artists, and instrumentalists learn from VIMA’s world-renowned faculty members.​Erika was also selected to participate in the 2020 American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, which unfortunately had to be deferred until 2021 because of the pandemic.To Erika, music is not a solely individual pursuit but something to share with a community. Just as she did with her peers at Florida A&M University, she hopes her insatiable passion inspires other African Americans to perform classical music.