Dr. Susan Deaver
Adjunct Professor of FluteDirector, Flute Ensemble
B.M., Manhattan School of MusicM.M., Manhattan School of MusicD.M.A., Manhattan School of Music
susan.deaver@liu.edu
Description
Susan Deaver is a member of the LIU Post Music Faculty and the co-founder and director of the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival. She teaches flute, chamber music and conducting at LIU Post and is the flutist of The Pierrot Consort. As a flutist, she has performed in the United States, Europe and Korea and was principal flutist of the Washington Chamber Symphony at the Kennedy Center from 1981 to 2002. She has performed with Long Island Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Queens Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Virtuosi and on Broadway in "Phantom of the Opera." She received fellowships from the Bach Aria and Tanglewood music festivals. She has recorded for New World records, CRI, Arabesque Recordings and North/South Consonance. Susan Deaver served for twenty-five years as the music director and conductor of the North Shore Symphony Orchestra and as the Principal Guest Conductor for the Long Island Youth Orchestra. Dr. Deaver is currently the conductor of the University Orchestra at Stony Brook University and conductor of the Festival Chamber Orchestra at the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival which is held annually each summer. She has guest conducted in Scotland, England, Spain, Korea and Germany, and conducted the Manhattan School of Music's Contemporary Ensemble and Manhattan School of Music Precollege Orchestras. She conducted the 2017 Division IV Orchestra at Nassau All-County Festival and the 2017 All-North New Jersey High School Symphonic Orchestra. Newsday featured her in an article about her work as conducting instructor for actor Freddie Highmore in Warner Brothers' movie "August Rush." As conductor of the LIU Post Orchestra from 1981 to 2006, she developed that orchestra from an ensemble of 11 to a full-sized symphonic orchestra of over 70 undergraduate and graduate students. She creatively expanded the orchestral program to include a series of concerts at Tilles Center, founded the LIU Post Concerto Competition, along with performance courses for music educators and orchestral educational residency programs with the New York Philharmonic and Tilles Center. Dr. Deaver is on the music faculty at LIU Post, Stony Brook University and Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Division. She received her B.M, M.M. and a doctorate of musical arts in performance from Manhattan School of Music.
Specialties
Professional flutist and conductor. Teaching music history and coaching chamber music
Publications
Author "The Group for Contemporary Music – 1961 to 1991". DMA Thesis at Manhattan School of Music
Lectures and Presentations
- Woodwind Clinic for Tilles Band Festival – April 2017
- Conducting Clinician, Port Jefferson School Teacher Development Conference, 2012
- Presenter, "Breaking the Male Sound Barrier" at the Women's Week 2011 Conference entitled "Sister Hildegard to Lady Gaga: Women, Music & Sound" at Suffolk Community College
- Presenter, "Developing Your Orchestral Woodwind Section", 1999 NYSSMA Winter Conference, Rochester, NY
- Conducting Clinician, at Orchestral Reading Session, The 2000 Balanced Mine Conference 2000
- Conducting Clinician, Discovery Conducting Clinic, NYSCAME, 2003
- Flute Master Classes at the LIU Post Chamber Music Festival and Woodwind Clinics on Long Island
Recordings
North/South Consonance – CD of American Composers (January 2009)
Concordia Trio – Music for flute, oboe & guitar
Bach Festival Orchestra at St. Peter's Church – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
New York Scandia Symphony – "Music of Nielsen & Scandinavian composers"
Philharmonia Virtuosi – "Vivaldi Concertos"
Recordings for New World records, CRI, Arabesque Recordings
Performances
- Flutist with The Pierrot Consort
- Guest conductor of the 2017 Division IV Orchestra at Nassau All-County Festival
- Guest conductor of the 2017 All- North New Jersey High School Symphonic Orchestra.
Honors/Awards
- Fellowships from Tanglewood Music Festival
- Scholarship recipient, Manhattan School of Music
Films
Newsday featured Dr. Deaver in an article about her work as conducting instructor for actor Freddie Highmore in Warner Brothers' movie "August Rush."
Professional Affiliations
- Music faculty at LIU Post, Stony Brook University and Manhattan School of Music Precollege
- Member of League of American Orchestras
- Board member of Friends of NSSO (North Shore Symphony Orchestra)
- American Federation of Musicians, Local 802
- National Flute Association
- New York Flute Club
- CWA Local 1101
- NYSUT (New York State United Teachers)