The Old School House Arts Centre resumes its 2015-16 Music on Sunday series this weekend with a classical performance by the trio of Susan Snizek on flute, Joanna Hood on viola and Alexandria Le on piano.
The 2:30 p.m. concert follows last weekend’s season debut, which featured pianist Sara Davis Buechner.
While an undergraduate student at the University of Indiana- Bloomington, Snizek was a winner in the national “Flute Talk” Magazine Competition. Her Master degree (in flute performance) was completed at University of the Arts (Philadelphia) where she studied with Julius Baker. While at University of the Arts, she won first place in the concerto competition, and subsequently performed the Jolivet Concerto. She also won second place in the New York Flute Club Competition and won scholarships to attend Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Walfrid Kujala’s (Chicago Symphony) summer master classes at Northwestern University and Julius Baker’s Danbury summer master classes.
Following graduation, she performed with the ESO (National Orchestra of Taiwan). After returning to the US, she won first prize in the Mid-South Young Artist Flute Competition and became an active performer in the Philadelphia region. She has recorded for Kindermusic, HBO television productions, and the NFL Presents for ESPN. She also performed with the Moody Blues and Roger Daltrey and served as co-principal flute of the Bel Canto Opera Company of Philadelphia.
After serving as Senior Lecturer in flute at the University of the Arts- Philadelphia, Dr. Snizek relocated to British Columbia and is currently a visiting assistant professor in music (flute) at the University of Victoria.
Originally from Seattle, Hood studied viola with Isadore Tinkleman at the San Francisco Conservatory and Abraham Skernick at Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington.
Since 1986, Hood has played with the Lafayette String Quartet, which she co-founded. As artist-in-residence at the University of Victoria, in Victoria, BC, she teaches viola and chamber music. She performs with Victoria’s Galiano Ensemble, as well as the Loma Mar Quartet and Orchestra of St. Luke’s (both in New York City).
Hood has been a committed teacher since 1983 and also performs with the Loma Mar Quartet based in New York. She helped found the group in 1997, for the Bard Music Festival. Since then, they have collaborated with Sir Paul McCartney in a performance, and a recording of his music, titled “Working Classical”, and A Garland for Linda (Selections) also on the EMI label. Throughout her career, along with concerts in Canada, the US and abroad, Ms. Hood has broadcast for CBC and NPR, and other radio stations, worldwide. She plays on an English viola made in 1754 by Edmund Areaton.
Le enjoys a multi-faceted career. After winning the prestigious Pro Musicis International Award in 2011 and joining a distinguished roster of artists, she debuted as soloist in Carnegie Hall to glowing reviews. Soon afterward, Ms. Le joined as a pianist in Carnegie Hall’s resident ensemble, the highly prolific Ensemble ACJW (a 20-member ensemble in partnership with the Juilliard School, the Weill Institute, and the New York Department of Education). She has been seen performing regularly in New York City venues like Carnegie Hall, Trinity Wall Street, (le) Poisson Rouge, Subculture NYC, and Spectrum. A winner of the 2012 Emerson String Quartet’s Ackerman Chamber Music Competition, Le has held exclusive collaborative piano positions at the Banff Centre of the Arts in Canada.After receiving a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, Ms. Le went on to pursue a Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts from Stony Brook University.
Tickets for Sunday’s performance, co-presented by Quality Foods, are $16, and reservations are recommended. For tickets or info, call 250-752-6133. The Old School House is located at 122 Fern Road West in Qualicum Beach.
Submitted by TOSH
