Gordon Fitzell

Gordon Fitzell (born 1968 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada) is a composer, concert organizer, and professor of music. His catalog consists of solo, chamber and electroacoustic music, including open and improvisatory works.

Biography

Born and raised in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada, Gordon Fitzell earned a dual-emphasis PhD in Music Theory and Composition from the University of British Columbia (studies with Keith Hamel and John Roeder); a Master of Music degree from the University of Alberta (studies with Howard Bashaw and Malcolm Forsyth); and a Bachelor of Music degree from Brandon University (studies with Kenneth Nichols). As a student, he attended the Darmstadt Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Music, the Yale Summer School, June in Buffalo, the Arraymusic Young Composers Workshop, and the Banff Centre. He has attended masterclasses and short-term instruction with Beat Furrer, Salvatore Sciarrino, Jukka Tiensuu, Aaron Jay Kernis, Roger Reynolds, Martin Bresnick, Joan Tower, Linda Bouchard, and Robert J. Rosen.[1]

Career

Fitzell's music has been performed at major international festivals including the Darmstädter Ferienkurse (Germany), Festival Synthèse Bourges (France), the ISCM World New Music Days (Sweden), the International Sound Art Festival (Mexico), and the Tanglewood Music Festival (USA). He has received acknowledgements and awards for his compositions from various organizations, including CBC Radio, the SOCAN Foundation, Vancouver New Music, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (USA).[2]

In 2008 the eighth blackbird album strange imaginary animals, which features two of Fitzell's compositions, garnered two Grammy Awards. Fitzell also appears on the album as co-producer and live electronics artist, and in 2006 performed with the group on two CD release concerts at The Kitchen in New York. In 2009 his chamber work violence was performed at the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) World New Music Days in Sweden by Norway’s BIT20 Ensemble, under the direction of Dutch conductor/composer/pianist Reinbert de Leeuw. In 2010 Fitzell was the guest composer of the Cluster Festival of New Music and Integrated Arts.[3]

Fitzell is a regular curator of sound art events,[4] ranging from chamber music concerts to media art installations. Since 2009 he has been an Artistic Director of Groundswell, Winnipeg's premiere new music series. Gordon Fitzell is Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the University of Manitoba, where he also leads the XIE (eXperimental Improv Ensemble).[5]

List of Works[6]

SOLO

SOLO WITH LIVE ELECTRONICS

CHAMBER

CHAMBER WITH LIVE ELECTRONICS

OPEN AND IMPROVISATORY

ELECTROACOUSTIC

INSTALLATIONS

Selected Performers

Vancouver New Music, Francois Houle, Giorgio Magnanensi, eighth blackbird,[13][14] Alizé, Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal,[15] Harrignton/Loewen Duo, Roger Admiral, Corey Hamm, Sonic Generator,[16] BIT20,[17] Plexoos Ensemble, Arraymusic, Ensemble Symposium, Pro Coro Canada, the UBC Percussion Ensemble, Hammerhead Consort, Vancouver Pro Musica, Trio Fibonacci, Sequitur, Matthew Gold (Glass Farm Ensemble), edgeffect,[18] Pazzia Contemporary Performing Collective, Sabastian Berweck, Jonathan Golove, Gwen Hoebig and David Moroz, Winnipeg New Music Festival[19] and Groundswell.

Affiliations

Gordon Fitzell is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre, a member of the Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Electroacoustic Community; he is also President of the Groundswell Board of Directors. His music is represented by Art Music Promotion., which also represents composers Paul Steenhuisen, Howard Bashaw, Keith Hamel, Bob Pritchard, James Harley, André Ristic, and Aaron Gervais.

Recent Publications

References

  1. ↑ University of Manitoba Faculty of Music, Composition Area.
  2. ↑ University of Manitoba Faculty of Music, Composition Area.
  3. ↑ Winnipeg Free Press article.
  4. ↑ Ken Gregory website.
  5. ↑ Culture Days 2010.
  6. ↑ List of works from Art Music Promotion agency website.
  7. ↑ Georgia Strait article.
  8. ↑ CBC article.
  9. ↑ Amazon.com.
  10. ↑ Electrocd.com.
  11. ↑ Sonus.ca.
  12. ↑ Electrocd.com.
  13. ↑ Winnipeg Free Press article.
  14. ↑ CBC article.
  15. ↑ La Scena Musicale.
  16. ↑ Distributed Music.
  17. ↑ McNally Robinson Booksellers, Meet the Composers Series.
  18. ↑ Shaw.ca.
  19. ↑ Winnipeg New Music Festival.
  20. ↑ WallBalls video clip.
  21. ↑ Nime 2009.
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