Susan Alexander-Max
Encyclopedia
Susan Alexander-Max is an American-born British fortepianist best known for her period performances
of baroque
and classical music. She graduated from the Juilliard School of Music and later studied with Ilona Kabos in London. She is a member of the period-instrument chamber group The Music Collection with Simon Standage
(violin
) and Jennifer Ward Clarke (cello
). She was also professor of piano at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She plays on a fortepiano by Derek Adlam.
Susan Alexander-Max was born in New York City and is recognised internationally as a leading fortepianist and clavichordist specialising in the music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Having graduated from the Juilliard School of Music, Susan won a scholarship to study with Ilona Kabos in London, where she now resides. She was finalist in the International Bach Competition and has performed, recorded and taught extensively throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, the Far East and Europe. A featured performer on international radio and television, she has played, as soloist and chamber musician, in festivals, museums and galleries, universities and music colleges world-wide.
Highlights of Susan’s performances include venues and festivals such as the Cheltenham International Festival of Music, Queen’s Festival of Early Music, Belfast, the English Haydn Festival, the Haydn Festival, Eisenstadt, Austria, the Vleeshuis Museum, Antwerp and the Prague Spring International Festival of Music. She is a frequent guest artist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, New York City, and she can be heard regularly in the major London venues.
She has been featured as concerto soloist, recital soloist and chamber musician and has given the première performances of the Piano Quartet by the Russian composer Leonid Feygin, ‘Figures’ and ‘Tetrapteron’ by the Swiss composer Jean-Jacques Dünki, ‘January 1795, Spring, Stanzas for Music and So We’ll Go No More a Roving’ by Rachel Stott of the UK, and ‘Eduardova Rides the Tram’ by the New Zealand composer, Glenda Keam.
Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
in London until 1996, Susan is director of the chamber ensemble, The Music Collection, and the educational project, Music in Schools. In great demand as specialist in early keyboards, she gives masterclasses and lecture recitals throughout the world. She has taught at Universities in England, Ireland, the United States, and China. She has also taught in the masterclass series at the Juilliard School of Music, New York City, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse, Paris, and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.
As recording artist, Susan has performed the Chamber Music of Hummel, the Early Piano Sonatas of Clementi and the complete keyboard works of Domenico Zipoli, volume 2. This latter CD was recorded in conjunction with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, on their Cristofori fortepiano of 1720. All CDs have been awarded top ratings, and they have received outstanding reviews internationally. The second in the series of Chamber Music by Hummel was also awarded BBC recommendation of the month. Her latest CD of Clementi Piano Sonatas has recently been released, as well as the Concertos of Johann Christian Bach. Future recordings include a third CD of Clementi’s early piano Sonatas, Hummel piano Sonatas and the piano Sonatas Op.5 by Johann Christian Bach.
Susan has been presented on British, American and European radio and television, including BBC Radio 3, England.
Historically informed performance
Historically informed performance is an approach in the performance of music and theater. Within this approach, the performance adheres to state-of-the-art knowledge of the aesthetic criteria of the period in which the music or theatre work was conceived...
of baroque
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
and classical music. She graduated from the Juilliard School of Music and later studied with Ilona Kabos in London. She is a member of the period-instrument chamber group The Music Collection with Simon Standage
Simon Standage
Simon Andrew Thomas Standage is an English violinist and conductor best known for playing and conducting music of the baroque and classical eras on original instruments.- Biography and career :...
(violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
) and Jennifer Ward Clarke (cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
). She was also professor of piano at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She plays on a fortepiano by Derek Adlam.
Susan Alexander-Max was born in New York City and is recognised internationally as a leading fortepianist and clavichordist specialising in the music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Having graduated from the Juilliard School of Music, Susan won a scholarship to study with Ilona Kabos in London, where she now resides. She was finalist in the International Bach Competition and has performed, recorded and taught extensively throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, the Far East and Europe. A featured performer on international radio and television, she has played, as soloist and chamber musician, in festivals, museums and galleries, universities and music colleges world-wide.
Highlights of Susan’s performances include venues and festivals such as the Cheltenham International Festival of Music, Queen’s Festival of Early Music, Belfast, the English Haydn Festival, the Haydn Festival, Eisenstadt, Austria, the Vleeshuis Museum, Antwerp and the Prague Spring International Festival of Music. She is a frequent guest artist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, New York City, and she can be heard regularly in the major London venues.
She has been featured as concerto soloist, recital soloist and chamber musician and has given the première performances of the Piano Quartet by the Russian composer Leonid Feygin, ‘Figures’ and ‘Tetrapteron’ by the Swiss composer Jean-Jacques Dünki, ‘January 1795, Spring, Stanzas for Music and So We’ll Go No More a Roving’ by Rachel Stott of the UK, and ‘Eduardova Rides the Tram’ by the New Zealand composer, Glenda Keam.
Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
in London until 1996, Susan is director of the chamber ensemble, The Music Collection, and the educational project, Music in Schools. In great demand as specialist in early keyboards, she gives masterclasses and lecture recitals throughout the world. She has taught at Universities in England, Ireland, the United States, and China. She has also taught in the masterclass series at the Juilliard School of Music, New York City, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse, Paris, and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.
As recording artist, Susan has performed the Chamber Music of Hummel, the Early Piano Sonatas of Clementi and the complete keyboard works of Domenico Zipoli, volume 2. This latter CD was recorded in conjunction with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, on their Cristofori fortepiano of 1720. All CDs have been awarded top ratings, and they have received outstanding reviews internationally. The second in the series of Chamber Music by Hummel was also awarded BBC recommendation of the month. Her latest CD of Clementi Piano Sonatas has recently been released, as well as the Concertos of Johann Christian Bach. Future recordings include a third CD of Clementi’s early piano Sonatas, Hummel piano Sonatas and the piano Sonatas Op.5 by Johann Christian Bach.
Susan has been presented on British, American and European radio and television, including BBC Radio 3, England.
External links
- The Music Collection website
- http://www.naxos.com/artistinfo/Susan_Alexander_Max/2750.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juilliard_School_of_Music