Music Director
Mrs. Johanna Anderson, M.M.
Music Director & Conductor
Inspiring Music, Inspiring People
Now in her fifth season as Music Director and Conductor of the Lakeshore Symphonic Band (LSB), Mrs. Anderson brings exceptional artistry, energy, and vision to the podium. As a director, she aims to create and foster a positive, collaborative rehearsal environment and to promote a wide variety of repertoire, including championing new and contemporary works by diverse composers. Most recently, in May 2026, Mrs. Anderson and the Lakeshore Symphony Band premiered “Gold,” a wind band piece by composer Stacey Berk, in honor of the band’s 50th anniversary.
In addition to her leadership with LSB, she serves as Instructor of Music and Wind Symphony Director at Concordia University Chicago (CUC). In her role at CUC, Mrs. Anderson teaches music and music education courses and directs the Wind Symphony and Jazz Band. She also participates in recruitment efforts for the music program and collaborates with faculty and staff to grow and maintain a vibrant music community. She brings this teaching and service mentality to all of her work with Lakeshore Symphonic Band. Mrs. Anderson is a graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Music Education and Spanish Education. She 
earned a Master of Music in Music Education from Boston University in 2018 and is a candidate for a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from that same institution. Her research focuses on the mentorship of current and future women band directors.
In 2025, Mrs. Anderson concluded over a decade of service as Associate Director of Instrumental Music at CUW.In this position, she directed the University Band, Falcon Pep Band, and Drumline, and she also taught woodwind techniques, supervised student teachers, and coordinated all aspects of recruiting for the music department. From 2016-2021, Prof. Anderson also served as principal oboist of the Kettle Moraine Symphony Orchestra. She began her career teaching band and orchestra at Perry A. Tipler Middle School in Oshkosh, WI.
Currently, Mrs. Anderson maintains a private oboe studio and performs on oboe, English horn, saxophone, viola, and trumpet. She is also a frequent adjudicator and clinician for area schools and organizations. Mrs. Anderson lives in Des Plaines, IL, with her husband, John, and their two cats, Winston and Leo.
