Evening of Sonatas for violin and piano
About Artist
Susan Heerema, violinist, is a graduate of The Juilliard School of Music with a BM Degree in violin performance. She studied with Dorothy Delay, Hyo Kang, Richard Simon and Charles Castleman. She is well established and a well- known soloist, concertmaster, contractor, orchestra and chamber musician,orchestral and choir director, and music teacher. Heerema has performed under the baton of Rostropovich, Rampal, and Menuhin in France and continues to perform at all the major concert halls. She has toured Norway, Iceland and Scotland with Philharmonia Virtuosi; performed at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, and the Sarasota Opera Festival, and many Baroque festivals in the US. Heerema held concertmaster for eight years with the Berkshire Opera Company and has performed operatic repertoire under the direction of Joel Revzen, Anton Coppola, Kathy Kelly, and Alfredo Silipigni. and Brian Garman.
Having held numerous leadership positions as concertmaster since the age of 11, Heerema sits as concertmaster for various orchestras such as the MidAtlantic Orchestra, Light Opera of NJ, Society of Musical Arts Orchestra, Brook Orchestra, Long Island Concert Orchestra, and Taghanic Orchestra, As a teenager, Heerema won the Concertmaster position for All North Jersey Junior Region, High School Region as well as All State Orchestras. Because of her expertise in piano, vocals, and strings, Heerema judges solo auditions and conducts the first violin sectionals for both Region and All State Orchestras.
Heerema has performed as orchestra soloist performing Bruch's ‘Violin Concerto in G minor’, Haydn’s ‘Sinfonia Concertante’, Dvorak’s “Romance in F” , the Monti’s “Czardas” and Massenet’s “Meditation on Thais”, and Mendelssohn's ‘E Minor Concerto’, as well as Vivaldi's Winter from ‘Four Seasons’ with various tri-state orchestras. Furthermore, Ms. Heerema performed a seven-concerto concert including: 4 concertos of the Vivaldi ‘Four Seasons’, Bach’s ‘Concerto in A Minor’, Vivaldi’s Duo for Two Violins and Astor Piazzolla's, Primavera Portena with Chamber Players International, held at Planting Fields Arboretum, Long Island. Heerema was theconcerto soloist, September 21, 2025, performing Mendelssohn's ‘E Minor Concerto with the Brook Orchestra at the Brook Arts Center.
Heerema's versatility has led her to perform and record with pop artists such as: Chuck Mangione, Blackstreet MTV Unplugged, Matchbox Twenty on VH1, U2 on the Conan O’Brien Show, Exhibit for the David Letterman Late Night Show, Vanessa Williams, Brian Stokes Mitchell, The Doors 21st Century, Cyndi Lauper, Leeann Womack Live Concert in NY, Mannheim Steamroller, etc. Ms. Heerema has recorded with Mark Anthony, Bjork, Tony Bennett, Michael Thomas, Mark Antonio Solis, Aretha Franklin and for the Bryant Gumble Show. Her Broadway experience includes ‘The King and I’, ‘Ragtime’, and ‘Phantom of the Opera’, as well as concertmaster for the national tour of ‘Phantom of the Opera’.
Heerema continues to teach AP Music Theory, and is the Director of Music for the Indian Hills A cappella Choir, Concert Choir and String Orchestra at Indian Hills Regional High School in Oakland, NJ. Heerema has blended administrative experience, community service, youth education and her expertise in leadership to make all performances or events professional. She creates and collaborates with NY and NJ communities performing either solos, contracting or leading orchestras, conducting choirs and/or orchestras, and teaching aspiring students and adults, so audiences can enjoy the exciting medium of music.