ABOUT
Susanne van Althuis is a choir leader and arranger with a mission to let every singer in her choirs feel welcome and competent and to create an environment in the choir in which every voice counts. Susanne has eye for every individual singer and pays attention to group dynamics in the choir, because with a positive group feeling the best results will be reached.
In 2015, Susanne began her career as choir leader and arranger after completing the Choir Leading classes of her bachelor Music & Education. Afterwards, she did several courses in choir leading and arranging, had classes with Tijs Krammer and Merel Martens and in August 2020, she started the master Innovative Choir Directing at The Royal Academy of Music in Aalborg (DK). Here she learns about the choir methods and philosophies from prof. Jim Daus Hjernøe, Jesper Holm, Malene Rigtrup and Peder Karlsson.
At the moment, Susanne lives in Denmark where she continues her career. Read more about Susanne's work as a choir leader, arranger and singer below.
Choir Leader
Since 2015, Susanne has conducted several choirs. She's led a cappella choir Vocal Vision and Popkoor 0183. Susanne has conducted youth choirs with children and youngsters from age 4 to 15 and she has been a project-based conductor for several female choirs.
From January 2022, Susanne will conduct several choirs in Denmark. In the spring of 2022 she's starting a project choir in which both arrangements will be rehearsed and music will be created in the moment with use of vocal painting (VOPA).
Arranger
Susanne began writing choir arrangements in high school and her passion for arranging has increased ever since. She finalized her bachelor Music & Education with an arrangement for orchestra and choir and from that moment on she has been arranging for several choirs.
Susanne writes singable arrangements for choirs of different levels. She writes a cappella arrangements as well as accompanied choir arrangements. Click here to find a list of arrangements that are directly available for your choir.
Projects
Susanne is co-founder and artistic leader of Project Voice ON, a choir project in which three arrangements are being rehearsed and in which the participants create a performance themselves, inspired by the music, the location and each other. In 2020's edition of Project Voice ON the result was a music video for the arrangement of Bella Ciao.
Besides that, Susanne is conductor and arranger for Summer Vocals, a choir project in the summer. After a week full of rehearsals, the choirs will perform in two sold-out theatre concerts.
Singer
As a singer Susanne was part of vocal group Fuse, led by Tijs Krammer. Fuse sings amplified, accompanied by guitar and won third place in 2019's national choir competition in The Netherlands.
In Denmark, Susanne sings second soprano in NABLA, led by Line Groth Riis. NABLA is a new skilled choir in North Jutland.
EDUCATION
BA Music & Education HKU
Docent Muziek - Utrechts conservatorium 2017
MA Innovative Choir Directing
The Royal Academy of Music 2022 (DK)
Arrangeren voor koor & Dirigent Licht Vocaal
BALK 2015 & 2018
3 inspiratie cursussen Innovative Choir Directing
The Royal Academy of Music 2019/2020 (DK)
Codarts Rotterdam 2017 (NL)