About Mary

~ Restoring beauty one note at a time ~

A creative and versatile performer, pianist Mary Vanhoozer has performed solo recitals throughout the United States, Scotland and Switzerland, and has taught masterclasses at various schools and institutions from coast to coast. She has appeared as soloist with the Wheaton College Symphony Orchestra and the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra. She has appeared in concert with Peter Slowik (professor of viola at Oberlin Conservatory) and Michell Newman (violinist in the LA Philharmonic). In 2018 she released her debut album for solo piano, From Leipzig to LA. The 3-CD set features the complete partitas of J. S. Bach, as well as a new commission by composer Josh Rodriguez, Partita Picosa. 

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Mary holds degrees in piano performance from Wheaton College Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Mary is an Associate Fellow of the Kirby Laing Center for Public Theology in Cambridge, England.

She is grateful for the artistic inspiration and musical mentorship of: Daniel Shapiro, Daniel Paul Horn, Douglas Humpherys, Paul O'Dette, Peter Slowik, and Carol Honigberg.

Mary is also an accomplished multi-instrumentalist (piano, violin, hurdy gurdy, voice, and hammered dulcimer) and melodist. She released her first album of original music in 2015, Songs of Day and Night. The music reflects both her love of folk music as well as early music sensibilities, demonstrated in dance rhythms, transparent textures and modal melodies. Sensing a desire to create a more regular outlet for her original melodies, Mary founded a one woman ensemble, Bard and Ceilidh. Her goal for her original music is to "awaken the child in each of us, creating a sense of wonder so that listeners will be able to recognize and celebrate the beauty and small miracles of every day life." In addition to Songs of Day and Night, Mary has released two more albums of original melodies: Bard and Ceilidh and Jubilate.

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