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The American mezzo-soprano, choral conductor music pedagogue, Suzanne Elder-Wallace, earned a Master of Arts degree in choral conducting from The Claremont Graduate University, where her studies emphasized early performance practice, and where she served as conductor of the graduate school's Collegium Musicum. She holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of California at Davis, where she served as Teaching Assistant to Paul Hillier and Jeffrey Thomas. One of the great joys of Suzanne's life is her interest in Cornish culture; her doctoral dissertation explores the role of folk music and ritual in Cornish ethnic self-identification. The most valuable product of her field research has been the formation of deep, abiding, and loving friendships in Cornwall.
Suzanne Elder has performed and recorded with Kronos Quartet, Theatre of Voices, American Bach Soloists, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Magnificat, Sogni d'Oro and Bimbetta, among others. She has recently been named Artistic Director of the California Bach Society, and also directs the vocal ensemble "inQuire," which specializes in Renaissance and 20th/21st century vocal polyphony.
Suzanne Elder has served on the music faculties of Dominican University, the College of Marin, and the San Francisco Early Music Society Medieval and Renaissance Summer Workshop, and has been a music consultant for the Hayward School District. Currently, she is Director of Choral Ensembles at Santa Rosa Junior College and directs the High Holy Days Choir at Congregation Rodef Sholom in Marin County, California. |
