Nicholas Fiore

Fiore, Nicholas

Nicholas Fiore. Flutist, b Port Coquitlam, near Vancouver, 14 Feb 1918, d London, Ont, 18 Mar 1979. He studied first with his father, Pasquale Fiore, an amateur musician who also taught violin and piano. With his sisters he formed the Fiore Quintet, which performed during the mid-1930s in Vancouver churches and on radio. He became principal flute of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 1939 and also played in the CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra. At this time he studied for four summers in Maine with William Kincaid. He performed at the Marlboro Festival in 1966 and 1967 and was coached there 1966-69 by Marcel Moyse. Fiore was principal flute 1952-78 with the TSO and a member 1962-75 of the Toronto Woodwind Quintet (later Toronto Winds). He taught 1953-78 at the University of Toronto and 1978-9 at the University of Western Ontario. He also taught summers at the Courtenay Youth Music Centre beginning in 1972. His pupils included Robert Aitken, Suzanne Shulman, and Douglas Stewart. Fiore premiered Weinzweig'sDivertimento No. 1 with the CBC Vancouver Chamber Orchestra in 1946 and Somers'12 Miniatures on 2 Feb 1964. He recorded Kent Kennan's Night Soliloquy with the CBC Vancouver Concert Orchestra (RCI 52), and Lucio Agostini'sSuite for Flute and Orchestra (RCI 174) and is heard as soloist on the TS recording of Norma Beecroft's Improvvisazioni Concertanti No. 1 (Audat 447-4001) and on the Hart House Orchestra's recording of Holst's Fugal Concerto (1970, DG 2530 015). He also played on recordings with folk singer Emma Caslor (RCI 65-68). See also Discographies for Mary Morrison and the Toronto Woodwind Quintet.

Fellow musicians praised Fiore's beautiful phrasing. Marcel Moyse noted the rare brilliance of his technique and Robert Aitken considered him 'the greatest natural flute player' he had ever met.