Continuing Sue's Legacy

The Sue Anderson Memorial Foundation was created to honor her legacy and to fund the annual Sue Anderson Memorial High School Music Scholarship.

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A Broadway Conductor, music director, and pianist Sue Anderson passed away at age 70 on   May 1, 2025 following a long battle with cancer. 

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Sue was born and raised in Frederic, Wisconsin. She majored in music and business at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. After graduating college, she moved to New York City and began working as a medical secretary until she landed her first musical role: musical director of The First All Children’s Theatre. A Broadway career soon followed. 

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Her many Broadway musical credits include associate conductor for the 1981 revival of My Fair Lady, which saw Rex Harrison return to the role of Henry Higgins. That same year, she also served as the keyboardist and conductor for the hit Joseph Papp revival of Gilbert and Sullivan’s ThePirates of Penzance starring Linda Ronstadt, George Rose and Kevin Kline. Other Broadway productions of Me and My Girl, Cats, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Woman in White, Spamalot, The Lion King, and Jerry’s Girls followed.

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After decades of male domination of the Broadway conductor’s podium, Sue was among the trailblazing women of the late 20th century who broke the mold of women as rehearsal pianists,vocal coaches, or pit musicians.

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As a conductor, she conducted Pops concerts with the Milwaukee, Detroit, Phoenix, Portland, and Shreveport orchestras, and led the London Philharmonic. She regularly performed at Carnegie Hall with Field Studies International, and was an associate at The Westchester Broadway Theatre. Sue was the musical director for SoundBites (a political satire group for National Public Radio), the Hartford Stage premiere of Martin Guerre, and a regular touring musician with the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.

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She also recorded at Abbey Road Studios and made three albums with her husband, Broadway actor Cris Groenendaal, whom she met while working with the improv group Broadway Local.

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Sue was selfless. A long-time resident of Croton-on-Hudson, she gave her support to the fundraising efforts of many local theaters, including The Clock Tower Players in Irvington and the Elmwood Playhouse in Nyack.

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And most significantly, Sue was a long-time supporter of local youth musicians by accompanying High School choruses including, for many years, at Hedrick Hudson High School in Montrose.

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Sue’s passing leaves a profound void in both the personal and artistic communities she touched. She moved through the world with a carefree and generous spirit – marked by kindness, love, and grace. Her presence made others feel important. Her warmth and unconditional love were felt by all who knew her. This scholarship will reward the next generation of young musicians as they embark on their careers, with the hope that her kindness will be perpetuated forward through others. There is no doubt she would very much want as many students as possible to benefit from this scholarship.

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Would you please help spread the word?

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