Director
Pitch Craft - coming soon
Pitch Craft Collective is a concert series and vocal collective based in the Baltimore Area that was previously known as hexaCollective. Under it's new name, Sonya Knussen curates and directs a series of innovatively programmed performances which celebrate the magic of music creation.
Biography
Sonya Knussen is a passionate music educator, arts administrator, and performer. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Go Compose North America, a non-profit organization that provides opportunities for young people to learn, create, and perform music. She is also a highly sought-after vocal instructor, and her teaching philosophy is based on the belief that everyone has a unique musical voice.
Sonya was born into a family of renowned musicians. Her parents, Oliver Knussen and Sue Knussen, were both professional musicians. Her father was a world-renowned composer, conductor, and mentor, and her mother was a BAFTA award-winning television/radio producer and music educator. Sonya grew up attending rehearsals, recording sessions, editing suites, and workshops from a very young age. This experience gave her a deep understanding of music and the skills needed to teach it effectively.
She has worked with a wide range of organizations, including Britten-Pears Arts, Tanglewood Music Center, the LWT Productions for Channel 4, the South Bank Center, ENO Baylis, and the BBC Proms.
In 2020, Sonya founded Go Compose North America. Go Compose North America offers online composition workshops and further musical development opportunities to participants of all abilities, aged 11-18. Sonya is passionate about making music accessible to everyone, and she is committed to providing young people with the opportunity to learn, create, and perform music in a supportive environment.
She has performed as a featured soloist with the Baltimore Symphony, Washington Bach Consort, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, at the Aldeburgh Festival in the UK and Symphony Space in NY. She has also taught at a variety of institutions, including the Performing & Vocal Arts Magnet Program at Anne Arundel County Schools, Maryland, Severn School and St. Martin's in-the-field Episcopal School in Severna Park, Maryland, and was the founder teacher artist for the Children's Chorus of Washington’s Sing DC and Prep Class programs.
Sonya is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the arts. She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the joy of music, regardless of their background or ability.
Sonya studied at Boston University, Trinity Laban (formerly Trinity College of music, London), the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Peabody Conservatory of Music ( at the Johns Hopkins University) and on ENO Baylis's The Knack Course.