Fisher, Alfred
Alfred (Joel) Fisher. Composer, pianist, teacher, b Boston 30 Jun 1942, naturalized Canadian 1974; B MUS (Boston) 1968, M MUS (Michigan State) 1967, PH D (Michigan State) 1976. He studied piano with Alfred Kanwischer and Pierre Luboshutz, composition with George Crumb, Douglas Moore, John Pozdro, and H. Owen Reed, and musicology with Hans Nathan. He taught 1965-8 at Michigan State U, 1969-72 at the University of Western Ontario, 1972-3 at the University of Saskatchewan, and 1973-8 at Acadia University. In 1978 he became chairman of the theory and composition division at the University of Alberta. He was associate chairman 1984-5 of the Dept of Music at the University of Alberta and chairman 1986-9. Fisher has written works for the Radio Telefis Eireann Symphony (Elegiac Variations,), NOVA MUSIC (The Owl at Dusk), the International Suzuki Association (Peace Variations), the S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition (The Nameless Dances) and the CBC (Diary of a War Artist, inspired by the war art of Alex Colville), among others. Many of his compositions have been broadcast by CBC radio. Fisher is the founder and director of PING, the University of Alberta New Music Improvisational Ensemble. He is also an accompanist and conductor at the university. In March 1989 he was the soloist in a performance of Bach's Concerto in F minor. He is an associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the CLComp.
Selected Compositions
Orchestra
Elegiac Variations. 1976. Vc, orch. Seesaw 1980
Morning: Peniel. 1980. Seesaw 1983
Ouverture Petillante. 1983. Seesaw 1984
Warrior. 1984. Ms
Peace Variations. 1985. Str orch. Seesaw 1985
Writings
Alfred Fisher, 'An earful: music and our aural environment,' Alberta Psychology, vol 14, August 1985
'Reflections on the new (old) improvisation,' Ex Tempore, Winter 1985-6
'Searching for the authentic: the true north and the true composer,' Canadian J of Native Studies, vol 8, Fall 1989
- et al. 'From composer to audience: the production of serious music in Canada,' CUMR, vol 9, no. 2, 1989
'Ethnomusicology and serious music,' Ethnomusicology in Canada, ed Robert Witmer, CanMus Documents 5 (Toronto 1990)
Also other articles and reviews
Chamber
To A Gentle Poet. 1977. 2 violoncello. Seesaw 1979
Four Movements for Unaccompanied Clarinet. 1978. Seesaw 1979
Five Movements for Bassoon and Cello. 1980. Seesaw 1980
Credo. 1981. Vc, piano. Seesaw 1982
Parables and Canons. 1982. Vc, piano. Seesaw 1983
Sweet for Flute. 1982. Seesaw 1983
Small Worlds. 1984. Vn, viola, violoncello. Seesaw 1985
The Nameless Dances. 1987. Vn, piano. Ms
Diary of a War Artist. 1989. Str quartet, clarinet, narrator. Ms
Piano
Fantasy Pieces. 1982. Seesaw 1983
Vocal and Choral
Lamentation Canticle. 1970. Sop, choir. Seesaw 1971
Cry Wolf (after a Cree Legend). 1977. Counter-ten (tenor), fl, viola, violoncello. Seesaw 1981
The Owl At Dusk 'Five Scenes on Yiddish Poetry'. 1978. Sop, fl, viola, violoncello, piano, percussion. Ms
Shema Yisrael/Hear O Israel (Bible). 1979. Sop, SATB, crotales. Seesaw 1980
Psalm 85. 1979. Sop, SATB. Seesaw 1980
Two Last Words (W. Martin). 1984. Sop, piano. Seesaw 1985
Also an 'opera-cabaret' Wanderers (1986)