Biography

Recently featured in the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra EarShot New Music Readings, Sakari Dixon Vanderveer seeks to incorporate the unique artistry of her collaborators in each of her works. Pieces such as Obsidian, rippled in moonlight, gleams and Fire Season, both written for Salastina Music Society, embody her affinity for employing visceral, stark contrasts that convey her recurring fascination with metamorphosis as a natural element of life. 

Her most recent premieres include collaborations with Derek Bermel, for Connecting ACO Community; HOCKET, for #What2020SoundsLike; and Maxine Troglauer, for the Composers Conference, which Vanderveer attended as a Fromm Foundation Composer Fellow.

A member of the New Music USA Program Council and a Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Composer Teaching Artist Fellow, Vanderveer’s desire to empower youth remains a catalyst behind much of her work. Her multi-level orchestral piece The Enigma of the Twilight Stallion was premiered by MÚSICA! (El Sistema USA) in 2019. She recently founded the You(th) Can Compose! Summer Workshop, a personalized, online intensive program for students ages 10-18 who are new to composing. Vanderveer’s aim is that children from all walks of life will gain access to contemporary music and composition, allowing them to develop a better appreciation and understanding of concert music – new and old – so that they can cherish it and engage with it throughout their entire lives.

As a teaching artist who is passionate about creating opportunities for kids to engage in new music, Vanderveer's works for young musicians frequently include techniques found in contemporary classical literature, such as the changing meters throughout this piece. Her thoughtful approach gives young musicians foundational skills to access and appreciate modern repertoire with greater ease and enjoyment as they grow and advance in their studies.