Susan Dersnah Fee bio

Susan Dersnah Fee

Susan Dersnah Fee is a versatile musician who from early childhood has divided her energy between the violin and the piano. She earned the degree Bachelor of Music with High Honors in piano performance from Michigan State University. Believing that Music Theory is the umbrella under which the composition, historical context, and ultimately the performance of all music are combined, she decided to pursue graduate work in this field. At the Eastman School of Music, where she earned her Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, she was one of two students in her class to receive a full fellowship for her doctoral work. Her teachers during these years were David Renner, Frank Glazer, and Frank Mannheimer.
      From early youth, she has played the violin in chamber ensembles, and has been a member of numerous orchestras, often serving as section principal. As a pianist, she has been much in demand as a chamber music collaborator and accompanist, and has performed solo recitals.
      Dr. Fee’s research interests have spanned a variety of subjects. Her master’s thesis is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Quintets: A Comparative Study of Compositional Techniques, and her doctoral dissertation is entitled Orchestration in the Orchestral Works of Bernard Rogers.
      From 1974-1979, Dr. Fee served on the faculties of Denison University and Valparaiso University. Courses she taught include: Harmony, Sightsinging, Ear Training, Form and Analysis, Renaissance and Bach Counterpoint, Twentieth Century Analysis, Beginning Composition, History of the Symphony, and History of Music Theory. She also coached chamber ensembles and taught piano and violin.
      Dr. Fee has developed an eclectic approach to violin study for young children, which emphasizes both aural and reading skills. She also has taught music readiness classes to small groups of pre-school children, and college level courses in music theory to groups of adults who wish to pursue theory study in depth.
      Professionally, Dr. Fee is active in the Music Teachers Association of California, California Association of Professional Music Teachers, Music Teachers National Association, American String Teachers Association, College Music Society, and National Guild of Piano Teachers. She has served on the National Certification Commission of the Music Teachers National Association, and is currently Certification Chair for the California Association of Professional Music Teachers.