Marion Miller began piano at four, was teaching at twelve, and entered the University of Western Ontario at 16, graduating with a Master’s degree in piano performance and the President’s Gold Medal for academic excellence. Canada Council Arts Grants subsequently enabled her to study in Paris with Marcel Ciampi. Other teachers included Cecile Genhart in Zurich and Ozan Marsh in Chautauqua.
She has soloed with orchestras in Canada and the U.S., and recorded several CBC programs. Long a member of Orchestra London, she now focuses primarily on chamber music with numerous friends, most frequently piano duet partner Clark Bryan. She has twice been a London Music Award nominee for Best Classical Artist, but has excelled in other genres as well, having put herself through university partly by playing in a professional swing band, and over the years gaining a varied background in musical theatre.
She has taught in university, conservatory and festival settings, and adjudicated music festivals from coast to coast. She maintains a consistently full studio of private piano students ranging from young beginners to adults, with whom her priority is always to emphasize expressiveness.
Susan Millar Boldissar holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she was recipient of both the Dean’s Merit Award and the International Conservatory Student Award. She earned her Master of Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she was recipient of the coveted Eva Heinitz Award, and served as Associate Instructor of Violoncello as well as Teaching Assistant to Professor Eric Kim. Susan received her pedagogical training for stringed instrument instruction through completion of the minor cognate string pedagogy program at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Ms. Boldissar was the founding director of the Mount Carmel Academy Chamber Orchestra and Instrumental Ensemble program, served as Instructor of Chamber Music for the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestras, and director of the Homer Plessy strings program, serving kids who might not otherwise have had exposure to strings and classical music. Since moving back to London, Ontario, Susan has given back to the local music and education community in which she was raised. She has volunteered her time, teaching workshops and masterclasses at several local schools and organizations. Susan served as conductor, music arranger for Young Artists Pre-College Academy; was the founding conductor of Young Artists Orchestra, and graciously donated her time and talents as temporary co-director of YAPCA. Additionally, Susan has served as interim conductor for Forest City String School, donating her time and talents transcribing/arranging music for that organization as well.
She has held positions of Instructor of Violoncello with the Young Artist’s Academy, the Endangered Instrument Project in New Orleans, as well as Louisiana Academy of Performing Arts, all whilst maintaining a private teaching studio.
In addition to her classical foundation, Ms. Boldissar boasts a mastery of improvisational music, use of looping and effects pedals, performance on the Morin Khuur (Mongolian Cello), the stroh cello (a cello with a brass bell from 1915), use of extended and experimental techniques, and has used her ability to compose and arrange music fitting the unique specifics of instrumentation in her teaching.
Susan has performed across the U.S. and Canada as a soloist, chamber musician and with orchestras. Solo performances include The Jeffery Concerts in London Ontario, Bach Around the Clock festival in New Orleans, the faculty guest recital series at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, chamber music performances in the San Francisco Bay area, Instant Opus improvised music series with Lori Goldston (of Nirvana), in New Orleans.
Solo performances with orchestra include performances with the National Academy Orchestra, as Susan was the winner of the NAO concerto competition in 2008. Ms. Boldissar has performed in many orchestras including the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and was principal cellist of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic during her tenure at Indiana University.
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