Biography
A classically trained pianist, Susan Hammond has earned recognition for converting the often esoteric realm of classical music into compelling human narratives that captivate younger listeners. Her string of Gold Records attests to her capacity to bridge these seemingly separate spheres.
Raised in Toronto, Hammond appeared locally as a youthful keyboardist and studied under Karl Ulrich Schnabel. After earning her degree from the University of Toronto, she focused on incorporating classical repertoire into the city’s integrated elementary curriculum. Her debut project, Mr. Bach Comes to Call, sought to introduce Bach’s life to children by blending biographical audio drama with piano excerpts, yielding a recording that was both instructive and engaging. In addition to writing and producing the album, Hammond performed on it, securing the Juno Award for Best Children’s Recording in Canada along with platinum certification.
The next year she issued her most widely recognized work, Beethoven Lives Upstairs. Also attaining platinum status, the recording later expanded into a book, a video, and a CD-ROM; its narrative centered on a boy living beside Beethoven and drawing inspiration from the composer. In 1990 Hammond released Mozart’s Magic Fantasy, which captured the Juno Award for Best Canadian Children’s Recording, followed in 1991 by Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery, another Juno winner. She departed briefly from composer-centered storytelling with Daydreams and Lullabies before returning to the established approach in 1993 with Tchaikovsky Discovers America; that release, too, was adapted into an award-winning book.
Hammond subsequently assembled several of her narrative-driven albums, accompanied by a teachers’ guide, under the title The Classroom Collection. In 1995 she completed her sixth biographical recording, Hallelujah Handel.
Raised in Toronto, Hammond appeared locally as a youthful keyboardist and studied under Karl Ulrich Schnabel. After earning her degree from the University of Toronto, she focused on incorporating classical repertoire into the city’s integrated elementary curriculum. Her debut project, Mr. Bach Comes to Call, sought to introduce Bach’s life to children by blending biographical audio drama with piano excerpts, yielding a recording that was both instructive and engaging. In addition to writing and producing the album, Hammond performed on it, securing the Juno Award for Best Children’s Recording in Canada along with platinum certification.
The next year she issued her most widely recognized work, Beethoven Lives Upstairs. Also attaining platinum status, the recording later expanded into a book, a video, and a CD-ROM; its narrative centered on a boy living beside Beethoven and drawing inspiration from the composer. In 1990 Hammond released Mozart’s Magic Fantasy, which captured the Juno Award for Best Canadian Children’s Recording, followed in 1991 by Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery, another Juno winner. She departed briefly from composer-centered storytelling with Daydreams and Lullabies before returning to the established approach in 1993 with Tchaikovsky Discovers America; that release, too, was adapted into an award-winning book.
Hammond subsequently assembled several of her narrative-driven albums, accompanied by a teachers’ guide, under the title The Classroom Collection. In 1995 she completed her sixth biographical recording, Hallelujah Handel.
Albums