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 (pp. 166-175). 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. (in press). CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet (II) [CD].
• CD: Ives Ensemble plays Ford, Ayres, Hamel, Rijnvos, van Emmerik, Carl
  
  Snijders, J., & Rijnvos, R. (in press). CD: Ives Ensemble plays Ford, Ayres, Hamel, Rijnvos, van Emmerik, Carl [CD].
• CD: Theo Loevendie - Chamber Music
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, N. (in press). CD: Theo Loevendie - Chamber Music [CD].
• CD: Luc Ferrari - Sexolidad
  
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: Luc Ferrari - Sexolidad [CD].
• CD: Roberto Gerhard -- Portraits and Horoscopes
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, N. (in press). CD: Roberto Gerhard -- Portraits and Horoscopes [CD].
• CD: Richard Rijnvos - Block Beuys
  
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: Richard Rijnvos - Block Beuys [CD].
• CD: Ivo van Emmerik - Chamber Music
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: Ivo van Emmerik - Chamber Music [CD].
• CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: Morton Feldman - String Quartet [CD].
• CD: Elliott Carter - Homages and Dedications
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, N. (in press). CD: Elliott Carter - Homages and Dedications [CD].
• CD: John Cage - Ten, Fourteen, Ryoanji
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: John Cage - Ten, Fourteen, Ryoanji [CD].
• CD: Morton Feldman - Piano and String Quartet
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: Morton Feldman - Piano and String Quartet [CD].
• CD: Morton Feldman - Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello
  
  Snijders, J., Haar, J. ter, Sanderse, R., & Haar, J. ter. (in press). CD: Morton Feldman - Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello [CD].
• CD: Clarence Barlow - Musica Derivata
  
  Snijders, J., Haar, J. ter, & Haar, J. ter. (in press). CD: Clarence Barlow - Musica Derivata [CD].
• CD: Morton Feldman - Trio
  
  Snijders, J., Haar, J. ter, & Haar, J. ter. (in press). CD: Morton Feldman - Trio [CD].
• CD: Richard Rijnvos - Chamber Music
  
  Snijders, J., & Rijnvos, R. (in press). CD: Richard Rijnvos - Chamber Music [CD].
• CD: Aldo Clementi - Madrigale
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: Aldo Clementi - Madrigale [CD].
• CD: John Cage - Two, Five, Seven
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: John Cage - Two, Five, Seven [CD].
• CD: Christopher Fox - Themes and Variations
  
  Snijders, J., Fox, C., & Ensemble, I. (in press). CD: Christopher Fox - Themes and Variations [CD].
• CD: Music from Theresienstadt
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, N. (in press). CD: Music from Theresienstadt [CD].
• CD: Richard Rijnvos - Uptown|Downtown
  
  Snijders, J., & Rijnvos, R. (in press). CD: Richard Rijnvos - Uptown|Downtown [CD].
• CD: Morton Feldman - For John Cage
  
  Snijders, J., & Haar, J. ter. (in press). CD: Morton Feldman - For John Cage [CD].
• CD: Brian Ferneyhough - Shadowtime
  
  Snijders, J., Ensemble, N., & Ferneyhough, B. (in press). CD: Brian Ferneyhough - Shadowtime [CD].
• Rijnvos Riflessi
  
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ensemble, I. (2019, April 11). Rijnvos Riflessi [Compact Disc].
• Laurence Crane - 6 Trios, 2 Solos and 1 Quintet
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (2017, February). Laurence Crane - 6 Trios, 2 Solos and 1 Quintet [CD].
• 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].
• CD 'Transatlantic Swing'
  
  Snijders, J. (2008). CD ’Transatlantic Swing’ [CD].

Performance

• Gnossiennes
  
  Snijders, J., & Dolphin, G. (2022, March 5). Gnossiennes [CD & video]. Sunderland & Durham, England.
• Afternoon (Faun)
  
  Snijders, J., & Bustin, J. (2022, February 13). Afternoon (Faun) [Performance]. London, England.
• Contrazontal Launch Concert
  
  Snijders, J., Schreer, M., Garner, J., & Kost, G. (2021, November 2). Contrazontal Launch Concert [Performance]. Durham, England.
• Contrazontal Launch Concert
  
  Snijders, J., Schreer, M., Garner, J., & Kost, G. (2021, October 10). Contrazontal Launch Concert [Live performance]. Newcastle, England.
• Ives Ensemble in Nijmegen
  
  Snijders, J., & Rijnvos, R. (2021, September 26). Ives Ensemble in Nijmegen [Live performance]. Nijmegen, Netherlands.
• Ives Ensemble in Amsterdam
  
  Snijders, J., Ensemble, I., Boogman, W., & Roozen, A. (2019, December 12). Ives Ensemble in Amsterdam [Performance]. Amsterdam (NL).
• Recital in MUSICON
  
  Snijders, J. (2019, November 19). Recital in MUSICON [Performance].
• Recital Slewe Amsterdam
  
  Snijders, J., & Fox, C. (2019, November 10). Recital Slewe Amsterdam [Performance].
• Ives Ensemble in UK
  
  snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ives Ensemble. (2019, October 26). Ives Ensemble in UK [Performance]. Durham, London (England).
• Rijnvos Portrait
  
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., Ensemble, I., & Barker-Mill, A. (2019, September 22). Rijnvos Portrait [Performance].
• Recital in Zutphen
  
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Foc, C. (2019, May 16). Recital in Zutphen [Performance]. Zutphen, Netherlands.
• Nevenwerk II
  
  Snijders, J., Rijnvos, R., & Ives Ensemble. (2019, April 11). Nevenwerk II [Performance]. Amsterdam, Den Haag, Utrecht (NL).
• Ives Ensemble in MUSICON
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (2019, February 23). Ives Ensemble in MUSICON [Performance]. Durham, England.
• Recital in Tilburg
  
  Snijders, J. (2018, September 25). Recital in Tilburg [Performance]. Tilburg, Netherlands.
• The Nijinsky Project - Afternoon (Faun)
  
  Snijders, J., Bustin, J., & Gryn, I. (2018, July 7). The Nijinsky Project - Afternoon (Faun) [Performance]. London, England.
• Morton Feldman's Crippled Symmetry
  
  Snijders, J., Ensemble, I., & Levi, K. (2018, February 24). Morton Feldman’s Crippled Symmetry [Performance]. Amsterdam, Eindhoven (NL).
• Ives Ensemble at MUSICON
  
  Snijders, J., Lixenberg, L., & Ensemble, I. (2018, February 10). Ives Ensemble at MUSICON [Performance]. Durham, England.
• Morton Feldman - Triadic Memories
  
  Snijders, J. (2017, March 1). Morton Feldman - Triadic Memories [Concert]. Durham, England.
• Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage
  
  Snijders, J. (2015, August 24). Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage [Live Concert]. Amsterdam, 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. (2015, August 24). 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]. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage
  
  Snijders, J. (2012, November 28). Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage [CD]. Fonteyn Ballroom, Durham.
• Premiere of Rijnvos's 'Die Kammersaengerin' as artistic director, producer and musical director
  
  Snijders, J. (2010). Premiere of Rijnvos’s ’Die Kammersaengerin’ as artistic director, producer and musical director [Performance]. Theater Kikker, Utrecht (Netherlands).
• Premiere of Richard Rijnvos's 'NYConcerto'
  
  Snijders, J. (2008). Premiere of Richard Rijnvos’s ’NYConcerto’ [Performance]. Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
• Nua Nós, New Music from Ireland Music by Eric Egan, Donnache Dennehy, Gerald Barry, Andrew Hamilton
  
  Snijders, J., Eric, E., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). Nua Nós, New Music from IrelandMusic by Eric Egan, Donnache Dennehy, Gerald Barry, Andrew Hamilton [Live Concert]. Durham, England.
• World première of "Annette" cycle by Piet-Jan van Rossum
  
  Snijders, J., Rossum, P.-J. van, & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). World première of "Annette" cycle by Piet-Jan van Rossum [Live Concert]. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• New Ears Salon – with visual artist Sarah van Sonsbeeck Music by John Cage, Erik Satie, Alvin Lucier
  
  Snijders, J., Sonsbeeck, S. van, & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). New Ears Salon – with visual artist Sarah van SonsbeeckMusic by John Cage, Erik Satie, Alvin Lucier [Live Concert]. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Alvin Lucier Portrait concerts Music by Alvin Lucier, James Tenney
  
  Snijders, J., Lucier, A., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). Alvin Lucier Portrait concertsMusic by Alvin Lucier, James Tenney [Live Concert]. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• John Cage Portrait Concerts
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). John Cage Portrait Concerts [Concerts]. Soest, Germany.
• Concert as part of the El Lissitsky/Kabakov exhibition in van Abbemuseum Music by Dmitri Shostakovich, Arthur Louriè, Nikolai Roslavets
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). Concert as part of the El Lissitsky/Kabakov exhibition in van AbbemuseumMusic by Dmitri Shostakovich, Arthur Louriè, Nikolai Roslavets [Live Concert]. Eindhoven, Netherlands.
• Charles Ives Portrait Concert
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). Charles Ives Portrait Concert [Concert]. Arnhem, Netherlands.
• Hearing Voices Festival Music by Christopher Fox, Laurence Crane, Karel Goeyvaerts, Morton Feldman. Luciano Berio, James Rolfe, Andrew Toovey
  
  Snijders, J., Straalen, M. van, & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). Hearing Voices FestivalMusic by Christopher Fox, Laurence Crane, Karel Goeyvaerts, Morton Feldman. Luciano Berio, James Rolfe, Andrew Toovey [Live Concert]. Durham, England.
• John Cage Portrait Concert
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). John Cage Portrait Concert [Concert]. Nijmegen, Netherlands.
• What a Ball! Works by Aldo Clementi, Wolfgang Rihm, Joël Bons, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Erik Satie, Francis Poulenc
  
  Snijders, J., Fiselier, F., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). What a Ball! Works by Aldo Clementi, Wolfgang Rihm, Joël Bons, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Erik Satie, Francis Poulenc [Concert]. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• Feldman in Middelburg (Palais de Mari & Piano)
  
  Snijders, J. (n.d.). Feldman in Middelburg (Palais de Mari & Piano) [Performance]. Middelburg, Netherlands.
• Charles Ives Portrait Concert
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). Charles Ives Portrait Concert [Live Concert]. 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. (n.d.). Nevenwerk, works by Kazimierz Serocki, Gérard Pesson, Gerald Barry, Aldo Clementi, Iannis Xenakis, Richard Rijnvos [Concerts]. Amsterdam, Den Haag, Netherlands.
• Charles Ives - Concord Sonata
  
  Snijders, J. (n.d.). Charles Ives - Concord Sonata [Live Concert]. Durham, England.
• Concert in Purcell Room, South Bank Centre Music by John Cage, Christopher Fox, Eric Egan, Gerald Barry, Laurence Crane
  
  Snijders, J., Egan, E., Fox, C., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). Concert in Purcell Room, South Bank CentreMusic by John Cage, Christopher Fox, Eric Egan, Gerald Barry, Laurence Crane [Live Concert]. London, England.
• John Cage - The Seasons
  
  Snijders, J. (n.d.). John Cage - The Seasons [Live performance]. Otterlo, Netherlands.
• Concert with works by John Cage, Morton Feldman, Charles Ives, Elliott Carter
  
  Snijders, J., & Group, B. C. M. (n.d.). Concert with works by John Cage, Morton Feldman, Charles Ives, Elliott Carter [Concert]. 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. (n.d.). either end of the SCALE, works by Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Stefan Wolpe, Laurence Crane, John Cage, Morton Feldman [Concerts]. Durham, England.
• New Ears Salon – with visual artist Steven Aalders Music by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Franz Liszt, Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Morton Feldman
  
  Snijders, J., Aalders, S., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). New Ears Salon – with visual artist Steven AaldersMusic by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Franz Liszt, Igor Stravinsky, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Morton Feldman [Live Concert]. Amsterdam, Netherlands.
• World Premiere of Christopher Fox "The Red Studio"
  
  Snijders, J., & Fox, C. (n.d.). World Premiere of Christopher Fox "The Red Studio" [Studio Recording]. London, England.
• Charles Ives Portrait Concert
  
  Snijders, J., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). Charles Ives Portrait Concert [Live Concert]. Middelburg, Netherlands.
• Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage
  
  Snijders, J. (n.d.). Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage [Live Concert]. London, England.
• New Ears Salon – with visual artist Pierre Bismuth Music by Pierre Bismuth, Diego Borello, Arnold Schoenberg
  
  Snijders, J., Bismuth, P., & Ensemble, I. (n.d.). New Ears Salon – with visual artist Pierre Bismuth Music by Pierre Bismuth, Diego Borello, Arnold Schoenberg [Performance]. Amsterdam, Netherlands.