Mary Vanhoozer
A member of the critically acclaimed Ciaramella ensemble, multi-instrumentalist Mary Vanhoozer grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she learned to play the Scottish fiddle and developed an enduring love of folk music. Traditional noëls from southern France played an equally formative role as they introduced her to the hurdy gurdy.
Since acquiring her first gurdy, Mary has eagerly continued to research and perform a variety of repertoire on the instrument, from medieval dances to French baroque suites and sonatas. Her published anthology, Playford’s Wheel, features 70 English country dance tunes, including second voice parts (her own compositions) transcribed and transposed for the hurdy gurdy.
A dedicated teacher, Mary encourages her students to gain a deeper love and understanding of music, develop a vision to share live music with local community and cultivate an appreciation for the craft of performance. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at Elmhurst University and co-directs the Wheel Song Hurdy Gurdy Festival. Mary holds degrees in piano performance from Wheaton College Conservatory (B.M.), the Eastman School of Music (M.M.) and the Cleveland Institute of Music (D.M.A).