Michael Snelgrove
Region: Atlantic
Professional Affiliations: Canadian Music Centre
Publishers: Canadian Music Centre
Organizational webpage: https://collections.cmccanada.org/final/Portal/Composer-Showcase.aspx?component=AAIL&record=20d3c852-18e3-4cfe-9abe-0fd4d18a0eef
Born in Botwood, Newfoundland in 1962, Michael started his musical training at age eight with Eric Abbott. He continued his studies through high school with William Davies and entered the University of Alberta. He completed his Bachelor of Music in 1987. Michael has just completed his Master’s Degree in Instrumental Conducting from Memorial University of Newfoundland’s School of Music. He has studied with Donald Buell, Marc David and Maria Guinand. He has conducted the MUN Concert Band, The MUN Festival Choir, The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and the University of Alberta Concert Choir.
Along with the conducting, Michael performs regularly as a trumpet player with various groups including the NSO. His most recent employment was that of lead trumpet with Royal Caribbean International as a member of The Radiance of the Seas Orchestra. He has studied with Duke Pier, Deryck Diffey and Donald Buell and has performed in master classes for Phillip Smith, John Aley and Karen Donnelly.
As a composer/arranger Michael is frequently heard on CBC radio. He has more than 200 compositions and arrangements to date that have been performed worldwide. He has received several commissions from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, The Soiree ‘99 Celebrations and the Cabot 500 Celebrations. Michael has over 200 compositions and arrangements to his credit. Michael has just recently had some of his music published with Waterloo Music, in conjunction with the Canadian Conservatory of Music. The MUN Chamber Choir premiered a work at the ISME Conference in Edmonton. For the anniversary of the MUN School of Music, Michael was commissioned to write a piece for Choir and Band, Newfoundland: A Rhapsodic Cantata. He has just been commissioned by the CBC to compose a piece for the winners of the Annual Band Competition. He has studied with Malcolm Forsythe, Manis Sasonkin and Paul Bendza and composition master classes with Violet Archer, Imant Raminsh and John Beckwith.
Michael is currently a music/drama specialist in Grand Falls - Windsor, where he lives with his wife Peggy and two boys, Sam and Max and his Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog, Allegro.
(Canadian Music Centre)
