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.

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

Chapter in book

• Snijders, John (2021). That is not Freedom, that is taking License: the pitfalls in performing Morton Feldman's graphic scores. In The Aesthetics of Imperfection in Music and the Arts: Spontaneity, Flaws and the Unfinished. Hamilton,Andy & Pearson, Lara Bloomsbury. 166-175.

Composition

• Snijders, John (2017). Afternoon (Faun). n/a. Duration: 13'.
• (2008). Stockhausen: Plus Minus.

Other (Digital/Visual Media)

• Snijders, John, Rijnvos, Richard & Ives Ensemble (2019). Rijnvos Riflessi. Compact Disc.
• Snijders, John (2017). 2017: Morton Feldman: Triadic Memories & Piano (hat(now)ART 2051 & 2052. CD.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2017). Laurence Crane - 6 Trios, 2 Solos and 1 Quintet. CD.
• Snijders, John & Rijnvos, Richard (2011). CD: Richard Rijnvos - Uptown|Downtown. CD.
• Snijders, JRC (2008). CD 'Transatlantic Swing'. CD.
• Snijders, John, Rijnvos, Richard & Ives Ensemble (2007). CD: Luc Ferrari - Sexolidad. CD.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2005). CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet. CD.
• Snijders, John, Nieuw Ensemble & Ferneyhough, Brian (2005). CD: Brian Ferneyhough - Shadowtime. CD.
• Snijders, John, Fox, Christopher & Ives Ensemble (2002). CD: Christopher Fox - Themes and Variations. CD.
• Snijders, John, Rijnvos, Richard & Ives Ensemble (2000). CD: Richard Rijnvos - Block Beuys. CD.
• Snijders, John & Nieuw Ensemble (1999). CD: Elliott Carter - Homages and Dedications. CD.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (1999). CD: Ivo van Emmerik - Chamber Music. CD.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (1999). CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet (II). CD.
• Snijders, John, Haar, Josje ter & Haar, Job ter (1998). CD: Clarence Barlow - Musica Derivata. CD.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (1998). CD: Morton Feldman - Piano and String Quartet. CD.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (1997). CD: Aldo Clementi - Madrigale. CD.
• Snijders, John & Haar, Josje ter (1997). CD: Morton Feldman - For John Cage. CD.
• Snijders, John, Haar, Josje ter & Haar, Job ter (1996). CD: Morton Feldman - Trio. CD.
• Snijders, John & Nieuw Ensemble (1996). CD: Roberto Gerhard -- Portraits and Horoscopes. CD.
• Snijders, John & Rijnvos, Richard (1996). CD: Richard Rijnvos - Chamber Music. CD.
• Snijders, John & Rijnvos, Richard (1996). CD: Ives Ensemble plays Ford, Ayres, Hamel, Rijnvos, van Emmerik, Carl. CD.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (1996). CD: John Cage - Two, Five, Seven. CD.
• Snijders, John & Nieuw Ensemble (1995). CD: Music from Theresienstadt. CD.
• Snijders, John, Haar, Josje ter, Sanderse, Ruben & Haar, Job ter (1994). CD: Morton Feldman - Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello. CD.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (1994). CD: John Cage - Ten, Fourteen, Ryoanji. CD.
• Snijders, John & Nieuw Ensemble (1990). CD: Theo Loevendie - Chamber Music. CD.

Performance

• Snijders, John & Dolphin, Graham (2022). Gnossiennes. Sunderland & Durham, England. Performed March 2022. Duration: 15'.
• Snijders, John & Bustin, Jane (2022). Afternoon (Faun). London, England. Performed February 2022. Duration: 12'.
• Snijders, John, Schreer, Marie, Garner, John & Kost, Gemma (2021). Contrazontal Launch Concert. Durham, England. Performed November 2021. Duration: 47'.
• Snijders, John, Schreer, Marie, Garner, John & Kost, Gemma (2021). Contrazontal Launch Concert. Newcastle, England. Performed October 2021. Duration: 60'.
• Snijders, John & Rijnvos, Richard (2021). Ives Ensemble in Nijmegen. Nijmegen, Netherlands. Performed September 2021. Duration: 90'.
• Snijders, John (2021). John Cage - The Seasons. Otterlo, Netherlands. Duration: 20'.
• Snijders, John, Ives Ensemble, Boogman, Willem & Roozen, Alexandra (2019). Ives Ensemble in Amsterdam. Amsterdam (NL). Performed December 2019.
• Snijders, John (2019). Recital in MUSICON. Durham, England. Performed November 2019.
• Snijders, John & Fox, Christopher (2019). Recital Slewe Amsterdam. Amsterdam (NL). Performed November 2019.
• snijders, John, Rijnvos, Richard & Ives Ensemble (2019). Ives Ensemble in UK. Durham, London (England). Performed October 2019.
• Snijders, John, Rijnvos, Richard, Ives Ensemble & Barker-Mill, Adam (2019). Rijnvos Portrait. Amsterdam (NL). Performed September 2019.
• Snijders, John, Rijnvos, Richard & Foc, Christopher (2019). Recital in Zutphen. Zutphen, Netherlands. Performed May 2019.
• Snijders, John, Rijnvos, Richard & Ives Ensemble (2019). Nevenwerk II. Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht (NL). Performed April 2019.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2019). Ives Ensemble in MUSICON. Durham, England. Performed February 2019.
• Snijders, John (2018). Recital in Tilburg. Tilburg, Netherlands. Performed September 2018.
• Snijders, John, Bustin, Jane & Gryn, Isaac (2018). The Nijinsky Project - Afternoon (Faun). London, England. Performed July 2018.
• Snijders, John, Ives Ensemble & Levi, Keren (2018). Morton Feldman's Crippled Symmetry. Amsterdam, Eindhoven (NL). Performed February 2018.
• Snijders, John, Lixenberg, Loré & Ives Ensemble (2018). Ives Ensemble at MUSICON. Durham, England. Performed February 2018.
• Snijders, John (2018). Feldman in Middelburg (Palais de Mari & Piano). Middelburg, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John & Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (2017). Concert with works by John Cage, Morton Feldman, Charles Ives, Elliott Carter. Cardiff, Wales. Duration: 90 minutes.
• Snijders, John, Rijnvos, Richard & Ives Ensemble (2017). Nevenwerk, works by Kazimierz Serocki, Gérard Pesson, Gerald Barry, Aldo Clementi, Iannis Xenakis, Richard Rijnvos. Amsterdam, Den Haag, Netherlands. Duration: 2 x 2 hours.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2017). either end of the SCALE, works by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Stefan Wolpe, Laurence Crane, John Cage, Morton Feldman. Durham, England. Duration: 30 min, 2 hours.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2016). Charles Ives Portrait Concert. Arnhem, Netherlands. Duration: 2 hours.
• Snijders, John (2016). Morton Feldman - Triadic Memories. Durham, England. Duration: 90 minutes.
• Snijders, John & Fox, Christopher (2016). World Premiere of Christopher Fox "The Red Studio". London, England. Duration: 24 minutes.
• Snijders, John, Fiselier, Frans & Ives Ensemble (2016). What a Ball! Works by Aldo Clementi, Wolfgang Rihm, Joël Bons, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Erik Satie, Francis Poulenc. Amsterdam, Netherlands. Duration: 2 hours.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2016). John Cage Portrait Concerts. Soest, Germany. Duration: 2 x 75 minutes.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2016). John Cage Portrait Concert. Nijmegen, Netherlands. Duration: 2 hours.
• Snijders, John, Sonsbeeck, Sarah van & Ives Ensemble (2015). New Ears Salon – with visual artist Sarah van Sonsbeeck Music by John Cage, Erik Satie, Alvin Lucier. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2015). Charles Ives Portrait Concert. Middelburg, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John (2015). Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John (2015). Performance as part of the exhibition "Oeuvres", curated by me in Gallery Slewe, Amsterdam. Works by Morton Feldman, Laurence Crane, Tom Johnson, John Cage. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John, Aalders, Steven & Ives Ensemble (2015). New Ears Salon – with visual artist Steven Aalders Music by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Franz Liszt, Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Morton Feldman. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John, Bismuth, Pierre & Ives Ensemble (2015). New Ears Salon – with visual artist Pierre Bismuth Music by Pierre Bismuth, Diego Borello, Arnold Schoenberg. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John, Lucier, Alvin & Ives Ensemble (2014). Alvin Lucier Portrait concerts Music by Alvin Lucier, James Tenney. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2014). Charles Ives Portrait Concert. Tilburg, 's-Hertogenbosch, Wageningen, Leiden, Utrecht, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John (2014). Charles Ives - Concord Sonata. Durham, England.
• Snijders, John, Straalen, Marijje van & Ives Ensemble (2014). Hearing Voices Festival Music by Christopher Fox, Laurence Crane, Karel Goeyvaerts, Morton Feldman. Luciano Berio, James Rolfe, Andrew Toovey. Durham, England.
• Snijders, John, Egan Eric & Ives Ensemble (2013). Nua Nós, New Music from Ireland Music by Eric Egan, Donnache Dennehy, Gerald Barry, Andrew Hamilton. Durham, England.
• Snijders, John, Egan, Eric, Fox, Christopher & Ives Ensemble (2013). Concert in Purcell Room, South Bank Centre Music by John Cage, Christopher Fox, Eric Egan, Gerald Barry, Laurence Crane. London, England.
• Snijders, John & Ives Ensemble (2013). Concert as part of the El Lissitsky/Kabakov exhibition in van Abbemuseum Music by Dmitri Shostakovich, Arthur Louriè, Nikolai Roslavets. Eindhoven, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John, Rossum, Piet-Jan van & Ives Ensemble (2013). World première of "Annette" cycle by Piet-Jan van Rossum. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Snijders, John (2012). Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage. Fonteyn Ballroom, Durham. Performed November 2012. Duration: 70 mins.
• Snijders, John (2012). Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage. London, England.
• (2010). Premiere of Rijnvos's 'Die Kammersaengerin' as artistic director, producer and musical director. Theater Kikker, Utrecht (Netherlands).
• (2008). Premiere of Richard Rijnvos's 'NYConcerto'. Concertgebouw Amsterdam