Staff profile

John Snijders was born in Heemskerk (the Netherlands) in 1963. He studied at the Royal Conservatory The Hague with Geoffrey Madge (piano), Stanley Hoogland (fortepiano) and Louis Andriessen (composition).

In 1985 he won first prize at the Berlage Competition for Dutch chamber music. He performed as soloist with a.o. the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, The Brussels Philharmonic, The Hague Philharmonic, Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio Chamber Orchestra and Dutch Radio Symphony Orchestra. From 1988 until 2013 he was a member of the Nieuw Ensemble Amsterdam. In 1986 he founded the Ives Ensemble, of which he continues to be pianist and artistic director. Since 2013 he is a member of the contemporary music groups Ensemble7Bridges and E7B Soundlab.

Both as a soloist and with these groups he has performed extensively at most major music festivals in Europe such as Festival d’Automne (Paris) Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (UK), Wien Modern (Vienna), Ars Musica (Brussels), Musica (Strasbourg), Settembre Musica (Turin), Bienale di Venezia (Venice).

Furthermore he has worked extensively as a rehearsal coach for Netherlands Opera, Dutch Travel Opera, Holland Festival, WDR Köln, English National Opera. In 2008 he was teacher of piano and chamber music at the Festival Internacional de Inverno de Campos de Jordão (Brazil). Also in 2008 he was awarded the Muziekgebouw Prize 2008 for the performance of NYConcerto for piano and chamber orchestra by Richard Rijnvos.

Several composers wrote pieces especially for him such as Gerald Barry, Christopher Fox, Richard Rijnvos, Gerard Brophy, Ivo van Emmerik, Rodney Sharman, Richard Ayres and Clarence Barlow.

Since January 2013 he is head of Music Performance at Durham University.

His research interests focus on piano performance practice in the 19th century, the American avant-garde, especially Morton Feldman and John Cage, music of extended duration, establishing connections between contemporary music and contemporary visual arts, and sound art.

• Connections between contemporary music and contemporary visual arts
• Performance Practice in 19th Century Piano Repertoire
• Performance Practice of the works of Morton Feldman and John Cage

Authored book

• Ixion
  Snijders, J. (2023). Ixion. Marmelade Publishers of Visual Culture

Chapter in book

• That is not Freedom, that is taking License: the pitfalls in performing Morton Feldman's graphic scores
  Snijders, J. (2021). That is not Freedom, that is taking License: the pitfalls in performing Morton Feldman's graphic scores. In A. Hamilton, & L. Pearson (Eds.), The Aesthetics of Imperfection in Music and the Arts: Spontaneity, Flaws and the Unfinished (166-175). (New Ed.). Bloomsbury. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350106086.0029

Composition

• Afternoon (Faun)
  Snijders, J. (2017). Afternoon (Faun). [score]
• Stockhausen: Plus Minus
  Snijders, J. (2008). Stockhausen: Plus Minus. [CD]

Other (Digital/Visual Media)

• CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet (II)
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet (II)
• CD: Theo Loevendie - Chamber Music
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, N. CD: Theo Loevendie - Chamber Music
• CD: Luc Ferrari - Sexolidad
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ensemble, I. CD: Luc Ferrari - Sexolidad
• CD: Roberto Gerhard -- Portraits and Horoscopes
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, N. CD: Roberto Gerhard -- Portraits and Horoscopes
• CD: Richard Rijnvos - Block Beuys
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ensemble, I. CD: Richard Rijnvos - Block Beuys
• CD: Ivo van Emmerik - Chamber Music
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. CD: Ivo van Emmerik - Chamber Music
• CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet
• CD: Christopher Fox - Themes and Variations
  Snijders, J., Fox, C., & Ensemble, I. CD: Christopher Fox - Themes and Variations
• CD: John Cage - Ten, Fourteen, Ryoanji
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. CD: John Cage - Ten, Fourteen, Ryoanji
• CD: Morton Feldman - Piano and String Quartet
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. CD: Morton Feldman - Piano and String Quartet
• CD: Morton Feldman - Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello
  Snijders, J., Haar, J. T., Sanderse, R., & Haar, J. T. CD: Morton Feldman - Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello
• CD: Clarence Barlow - Musica Derivata
  Snijders, J., Haar, J. T., & Haar, J. T. CD: Clarence Barlow - Musica Derivata
• Rijnvos Riflessi
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ensemble, I. (online). Rijnvos Riflessi
• CD: Richard Rijnvos - Chamber Music
  Snijders, J., & Rijnvos, R. CD: Richard Rijnvos - Chamber Music
• CD: Aldo Clementi - Madrigale
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. CD: Aldo Clementi - Madrigale
• CD: John Cage - Two, Five, Seven
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. CD: John Cage - Two, Five, Seven
• CD: Elliott Carter - Homages and Dedications
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, N. CD: Elliott Carter - Homages and Dedications
• CD: Music from Theresienstadt
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, N. CD: Music from Theresienstadt
• CD: Richard Rijnvos - Uptown|Downtown
  Snijders, J., & Rijnvos, R. CD: Richard Rijnvos - Uptown|Downtown
• CD: Morton Feldman - For John Cage
  Snijders, J., & Haar, J. T. CD: Morton Feldman - For John Cage
• CD: Morton Feldman - Trio
  Snijders, J., Haar, J. T., & Haar, J. T. CD: Morton Feldman - Trio
• CD: Brian Ferneyhough - Shadowtime
  Snijders, J., Ensemble, N., & Ferneyhough, B. CD: Brian Ferneyhough - Shadowtime
• CD: Ives Ensemble plays Ford, Ayres, Hamel, Rijnvos, van Emmerik, Carl
  Snijders, J., & Rijnvos, R. CD: Ives Ensemble plays Ford, Ayres, Hamel, Rijnvos, van Emmerik, Carl
• Laurence Crane - 6 Trios, 2 Solos and 1 Quintet
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (2017). Laurence Crane - 6 Trios, 2 Solos and 1 Quintet
• 2017: Morton Feldman: Triadic Memories & Piano (hat(now)ART 2051 & 2052
  Snijders, J. (2017). 2017: Morton Feldman: Triadic Memories & Piano (hat(now)ART 2051 & 2052
• CD 'Transatlantic Swing'
  Snijders, J. (2008). CD 'Transatlantic Swing'

Performance

• Recital in Zutphen
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Foc, C. Recital in Zutphen. [Performance]. Performed at Zutphen, Netherlands. 16 May 2019
• Nua Nós, New Music from Ireland Music by Eric Egan, Donnache Dennehy, Gerald Barry, Andrew Hamilton
  Music by Eric Egan, Donnache Dennehy, Gerald Barry, Andrew Hamilton. [Live Concert]. Performed at Durham, England
• World première of "Annette" cycle by Piet-Jan van Rossum
  Snijders, J., Rossum, P.-J. V., & Ensemble, I. World première of "Annette" cycle by Piet-Jan van Rossum. [Live Concert]. Performed at Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage
  Snijders, J. (in press). Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage. [Live Concert]. Performed at Amsterdam, Netherlands. 24 August 2015
• Morton Feldman's Crippled Symmetry
  Snijders, J., Ensemble, I., & Levi, K. Morton Feldman's Crippled Symmetry. [Performance]. Performed at Amsterdam, Eindhoven (NL). 24 February 2018
• Ives Ensemble at MUSICON
  Snijders, J., Lixenberg, L., & Ensemble, I. Ives Ensemble at MUSICON. [Performance]. Performed at Durham, England. 10 February 2018
• Concert in Purcell Room, South Bank Centre Music by John Cage, Christopher Fox, Eric Egan, Gerald Barry, Laurence Crane
  Music by John Cage, Christopher Fox, Eric Egan, Gerald Barry, Laurence Crane. [Live Concert]. Performed at London, England
• Contrazontal Launch Concert
  Snijders, J., Schreer, M., Garner, J., & Kost, G. Contrazontal Launch Concert. [live performance]. Performed at Newcastle, England. 10 October 2021
• New Ears Salon – with visual artist Sarah van Sonsbeeck Music by John Cage, Erik Satie, Alvin Lucier
  Music by John Cage, Erik Satie, Alvin Lucier. [Live Concert]. Performed at Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Ives Ensemble in Nijmegen
  Snijders, J., & Rijnvos, R. Ives Ensemble in Nijmegen. [live performance]. Performed at Nijmegen, Netherlands. 26 September 2021
• Alvin Lucier Portrait concerts Music by Alvin Lucier, James Tenney
  Music by Alvin Lucier, James Tenney. [Live Concert]. Performed at Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Rijnvos Portrait
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., Ensemble, I., & Barker-Mill, A. Rijnvos Portrait. [Performance]. Performed at Amsterdam (NL). 22 September 2019
• John Cage Portrait Concerts
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. John Cage Portrait Concerts. [concerts]. Performed at Soest, Germany
• Concert as part of the El Lissitsky/Kabakov exhibition in van Abbemuseum Music by Dmitri Shostakovich, Arthur Louriè, Nikolai Roslavets
  Music by Dmitri Shostakovich, Arthur Louriè, Nikolai Roslavets. [Live Concert]. Performed at Eindhoven, Netherlands
• Performance as part of the exhibition "Oeuvres", curated by me in Gallery Slewe, Amsterdam. Works by Morton Feldman, Laurence Crane, Tom Johnson, John Cage
  Snijders, J. (in press). Performance as part of the exhibition "Oeuvres", curated by me in Gallery Slewe, Amsterdam. Works by Morton Feldman, Laurence Crane, Tom Johnson, John Cage. [Live Concert]. Performed at Amsterdam, Netherlands. 24 August 2015
• Charles Ives Portrait Concert
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. Charles Ives Portrait Concert. [concert]. Performed at Arnhem, Netherlands
• Hearing Voices Festival Music by Christopher Fox, Laurence Crane, Karel Goeyvaerts, Morton Feldman. Luciano Berio, James Rolfe, Andrew Toovey
  Music by Christopher Fox, Laurence Crane, Karel Goeyvaerts, Morton Feldman. Luciano Berio, James Rolfe, Andrew Toovey. [Live Concert]. Performed at Durham, England
• Recital Slewe Amsterdam
  Snijders, J., & Fox, C. Recital Slewe Amsterdam. [Performance]. Performed at Amsterdam (NL). 10 November 2019
• John Cage Portrait Concert
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. John Cage Portrait Concert. [concert]. Performed at Nijmegen, Netherlands
• Contrazontal Launch Concert
  Snijders, J., Schreer, M., Garner, J., & Kost, G. Contrazontal Launch Concert. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75YQAoZoaTA&t=5s&ab_channel=DurhamUniversityMusicDepartment]. Performed at Durham, England. 2 November 2021
• The Nijinsky Project - Afternoon (Faun)
  Snijders, J., Bustin, J., & Gryn, I. The Nijinsky Project - Afternoon (Faun). [Performance]. Performed at London, England. 7 July 2018
• What a Ball! Works by Aldo Clementi, Wolfgang Rihm, Joël Bons, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Erik Satie, Francis Poulenc
  Snijders, J., Fiselier, F., & Ensemble, I. What a Ball! Works by Aldo Clementi, Wolfgang Rihm, Joël Bons, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Erik Satie, Francis Poulenc. [concert]. Performed at Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Nevenwerk II
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ives Ensemble. Nevenwerk II. [Performance]. Performed at Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht (NL). 11 April 2019
• Feldman in Middelburg (Palais de Mari & Piano)
  Snijders, J. Feldman in Middelburg (Palais de Mari & Piano). [Performance]. Performed at Middelburg, Netherlands
• Charles Ives Portrait Concert
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. Charles Ives Portrait Concert. [Live Concert]. Performed at Tilburg, 's-Hertogenbosch, Wageningen, Leiden, Utrecht, Netherlands
• Nevenwerk, works by Kazimierz Serocki, Gérard Pesson, Gerald Barry, Aldo Clementi, Iannis Xenakis, Richard Rijnvos
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ensemble, I. Nevenwerk, works by Kazimierz Serocki, Gérard Pesson, Gerald Barry, Aldo Clementi, Iannis Xenakis, Richard Rijnvos. [Concerts]. Performed at Amsterdam, Den Haag, Netherlands
• Afternoon (Faun)
  Snijders, J., & Bustin, J. Afternoon (Faun). [https://vimeo.com/698764727]. Performed at London, England. 13 February 2022
• Charles Ives - Concord Sonata
  Snijders, J. Charles Ives - Concord Sonata. [Live Concert]. Performed at Durham, England
• Recital in MUSICON
  Snijders, J. Recital in MUSICON. [Performance]. Performed at Durham, England. 19 November 2019
• Ives Ensemble in UK
  snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ives Ensemble. Ives Ensemble in UK. [Performance]. Performed at Durham, London (England). 26 October 2019
• Gnossiennes
  Snijders, J., & Dolphin, G. Gnossiennes. [CD & video]. Performed at Sunderland & Durham, England. 5 March 2022
• Morton Feldman - Triadic Memories
  Snijders, J. (in press). Morton Feldman - Triadic Memories. [concert]. Performed at Durham, England. 1 March 2017
• John Cage - The Seasons
  Snijders, J. John Cage - The Seasons. [live performance]. Performed at Otterlo, Netherlands
• Ives Ensemble in Amsterdam
  Snijders, J., Ensemble, I., Boogman, W., & Roozen, A. Ives Ensemble in Amsterdam. [Performance]. Performed at Amsterdam (NL). 12 December 2019
• Concert with works by John Cage, Morton Feldman, Charles Ives, Elliott Carter
  Snijders, J., & Group, B. C. M. Concert with works by John Cage, Morton Feldman, Charles Ives, Elliott Carter. [concert]. Performed at Cardiff, Wales
• either end of the SCALE, works by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Stefan Wolpe, Laurence Crane, John Cage, Morton Feldman
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. either end of the SCALE, works by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Stefan Wolpe, Laurence Crane, John Cage, Morton Feldman. [concerts]. Performed at Durham, England
• Recital in Tilburg
  Snijders, J. Recital in Tilburg. [Performance]. Performed at Tilburg, Netherlands. 25 September 2018
• New Ears Salon – with visual artist Steven Aalders Music by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Franz Liszt, Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Morton Feldman
  Music by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Franz Liszt, Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Morton Feldman. [Live Concert]. Performed at Amsterdam, Netherlands
• World Premiere of Christopher Fox "The Red Studio"
  Snijders, J., & Fox, C. World Premiere of Christopher Fox "The Red Studio". [Studio Recording]. Performed at London, England
• Charles Ives Portrait Concert
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. Charles Ives Portrait Concert. [Live Concert]. Performed at Middelburg, Netherlands
• Ives Ensemble in MUSICON
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. Ives Ensemble in MUSICON. [Performance]. Performed at Durham, England. 23 February 2019
• Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage
  Snijders, J. Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage. [Live Concert]. Performed at London, England
• New Ears Salon – with visual artist Pierre Bismuth Music by Pierre Bismuth, Diego Borello, Arnold Schoenberg
  Snijders, J., Bismuth, P., & Ensemble, I. New Ears Salon – with visual artist Pierre Bismuth Music by Pierre Bismuth, Diego Borello, Arnold Schoenberg. Performed at Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage
  Snijders, J. Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage. [CD]. Performed at Fonteyn Ballroom, Durham. 28 November 2012
• Premiere of Rijnvos's 'Die Kammersaengerin' as artistic director, producer and musical director
  Snijders, J. Premiere of Rijnvos's 'Die Kammersaengerin' as artistic director, producer and musical director. Performed at Theater Kikker, Utrecht (Netherlands)
• Premiere of Richard Rijnvos's 'NYConcerto'
  Snijders, J. Premiere of Richard Rijnvos's 'NYConcerto'. Performed at Concertgebouw Amsterdam