Bio
A native Chicagoan, Suki began playing piano at the age of five under the tutelage of her mother, a classical pianist. Classical flute instruction followed with Ralph Johnson and Walfried Kujala of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She attended Hull House Arts Camp; Interlochen Music Camp and Interlochen Arts Academy as well as the Northwestern University School of Music Cherub Program where she was awarded a Certificate of Merit for Flute Performance. Awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Benington College Jazz Lab, she also studied with Harvey Estrin; and Frank Wess of the New York Jazz Quartet. She has a BA from the University of California Berkeley and an MA from NYU in Music and Film.
Suki has been the recipient of many awards for her playing as well as her songwriting including: ASCAP PLUS AWARDS(1994 until the present day);only American Finalist in the Hoiellart Jazz Festival in Belgium;Honorary Award from American Song Festival;Award from Nashville Song Festival;two Runner-up Awards from the Song of the Year Awards;Viewer's Choice Award from Kweevak.com;Nomination for Just Plain Folks Awards and NAR Best Song Awards.
In 2005, Suki Rae wrote music,lyrics,and text,acted in,co-directed and produced a live reading with a cast of eight of her autobiographical muse-ical " I Don't Wannabe a Wannabe" at the Writer's Voice in New York City.
In 2006, she received a grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council to lead peace song-writing workshops for students culminating in a Peace Concert at St. Marks Church in New York City.
Suki has been musician in residence at: Cornell University; Hilai Art Colony in Ma'alot Tarshiha and Mitzpe Ramon-Israel; The Arad Arts Project- Arad,Israel;The Field- at White Oak Plantation in Yulee,Florida;Fundacion Valparaiso in Mojacar,Spain;Rocky Mountain National Park-in Estes Park,Colorado;the Wurlitzer Foundation-in Taos,New Mexico and IMAR in Lakeville, Connecticut.
"Suki benefited in our opinion very much from her stay here and was a very productive artist. She participated in a cultural event hosted by the Fundacion Valparaiso and received much praise for her work-she was attentive and inspiring to the other residents and seemed to develop her professional skills...we can only recommend her as an artist and as a sociable person."
Fundacion Valparaiso Mojacar, Spain
Pilar Parra Ruiz, Director
Please contact Suki for your music residency or to lead workshops on a variety of topics.
Suki has performed internationally in festivals,concerts,clubs and multiple venues for over thirty years.Appearances include: Jerusalem Womens' Music Festival;San Francisco Womens' Music Festival; MUNY's Texaco Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival; Michigan Women's Music Festival; Universal Jazz Coalition's Women in Jazz; Jazz Festival in Kingston,New York;The Garage; The JCC;Alice Tully Hall;West End Gate; Buskers Festival in Halifax,Nova Scotia; The 92nd Street YMCA; St. Peter's Church;Makor;the Actor's Temple; the Colony Cafe in Woodstock,NY;Hunter College;NYU; JASA;Grand Central Station;National Council for Jewish Women; Christopher Street Coffee House; The International Vigil for Peace in Central Park......ad infinitum. She has also collaborated in concert with dancers and choreographers including Janet Gerson and the Linda Diamond Dance Company.
In September 2009,Suki was featured in a documentary film with the rock band "OASIS" called "Dig your Soul on the Streets." Suki co-wrote with Eric Boltax the soundtrack for "Alice" for the National Institute of Television Arts and Sciences. She also wrote soundtracks for her two plays,her musical and her films(while at NYU Film School). TV appearances include: BET's Jazz Discovery; "Good Morning-New York";"20/20"; BBC's "Around the World in Eighty Days," and "Shanonim" on Israeli Television. Radio appearances include: WNYC's ,"New Sounds,";WDST;WKCR; NAR Radio; Neverendingwonder Radio; WPRB Radio at Princeton University and Yonah Shahar's Radio Show in Vermont.
Suki has released six self-produced recordings-five of original music: Pipedreams;Water &Fire;Bugz in Da Bed;My Bamboo Hat;Cantique de Noel;and I Think of You.
Suki Rae,ASCAP, is the owner of Suki Rae Publications. Her song "My Bamboo Hat" was published in " The Music Box and Other Delights" through Piano Press- and her song,"I think of You," was published for Film by Noteborn Music