Magnus Johnston began his musical education as a chorister of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, with which he toured all over the world. He won a scholarship to Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester where he studied with professor Wen Zhou Li, and then gained a scholarship to the RNCM where he studied with Dr Christopher Rowland. Magnus is a founder member of the Aronowitz Ensemble. Since joining the BBC’s New Generation Artists scheme in 2006, the Aronowitz Ensemble has featured extensively on BBC Radio 3.

In addition to numerous studio recordings, broadcasts have included performances from the Wigmore and Bridgewater Halls, the Sage Gateshead, and the Aldeburgh, Bath, Cheltenham and City of London Festivals. The Ensemble made its BBC Proms debut in 2008, and returned for two further performances at the Proms in 2009. In 2009 the Ensemble won the prestigious Borletti Buitoni Special Ensemble Scholarship.

Since 2009 Magnus has been a member of the Navarra quartet. He plays a Hieronymus II Amati violin, 1693.