Married, with a talent for vocals

The Los Angeles Master Chorale’s season opener at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Sunday will be a family affair when music director Grant Gershon is joined onstage by his wife, soprano Elissa Johnston, as featured soloist in the concert’s centerpiece, Brahms’ “A German Requiem.�

An in-demand concert singer, Johnston counts among her credits the role of Pat Nixon in the world premiere of John Adams’ “The Nixon Tapes� and appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York City Ballet and San Francisco Contemporary Players.

Performing with the chorale is a particularly heady experience, said Johnston, who is making her sixth appearance with the group. “It’s incredibly energizing to be onstage with such a lot of humanity all working together in this creative process. It’s an exhilarating rush.�

Her aria in Brahms’ choral masterwork, she said, is “transcendent, one of those glorious, ethereal solos. The words say, ‘You have sorrow now, but you will be comforted.’ It’s a beautiful movement.� And working with her husband? “It’s always a pleasure,� Johnston said.

“People assume that we work together all the time, but we get busy with our own stuff, and when we do have time together, it seems like we’re always focused on our family and trying to keep our house organized.�

With two young children, ages 3 and 8, Johnston has shifted her focus from opera to concert singing, with a specialty in chamber and contemporary music. Studio recording, a sideline for both spouses, also helps. Johnston’s film soundtrack credits include “The Simpsons Movie� and the upcoming “Beowulf.�

“Elissa is, to my mind, the perfect soprano for this piece,� said Gershon, who is also L.A. Opera’s associate conductor and chorus master. Aware that some might see nepotism “in hiring a singer who sleeps with the conductor,� Gershon added with a chuckle, he canvassed other opinions. “Just about everybody I asked looked at me like I was insane and basically said, ‘Is Elissa busy? Why would you look anywhere else?’ �

-- Lynne Heffley