Phil Fried

Phil Fried, Composer, ASCAP Member

Performances and Commissions

    • March 3 and 23 2018, “Locket Arias” one act opera, libretto by Ruth Margraff (2012-16),  full staging at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Red Tape Theater, Chicago, IL 
    • February 10 and 11, 2018, Staycation Rumba (2017),  MN Sinfonia New Works Award with support from the McKnight Foundation
    • 2016 Chiaroscuro String Quintet, commission for the JOYA Chamber Music Series Anoka MN, Mary Jo Gothmann Artistic Director
    • 2010, Movement for Solo Piano, commissioned by pianist, Jill Dawe, Minneapolis, MN
    • 2009 Minnesota Fringe Festival “Secrets Revealed, Opera Bob Opens His Drawers,” various original  arias integrated into this staging of lesser known 19th and 20th century operas excerpts 
    • 2008 Itty Bitty Symphony, Commission chamber work for percussion, clarinet, and piano for 30th Anniversary Concert, Zeitgeist Ensemble, St. Paul, Innova label
    • 2006 Episodes, Orchestral work, Centenary Commission, Minnesota Orchestra “Extreme Orchestra” Target Family Concert Series
    • 2006 Piano solo, Nicola Melville, I remember the 60’s or was it the 70’s,? Innova label
    • 2006 Six for Minneapolis, Song Cycle on text by Bill Reichard, commission by Zeitgeist, St. Paul
    • 2006-2013, single songs on poems by Minnesota poets  Bill Reichard, Heid E. Erdrich, Jim Cihlar and Kathryn Kysar, various recitals with Janet Gottschall Fried
    • 2004 Elements for Orchestra, Movement IV, Fire, Minnesota Orchestra’s Reading Session
    • 2003 My First 12-Tone Piece or Serial Music Isn’t Just for Breakfast Anymore, commission by FAIR School, Robbinsdale MN for youth string orchestra and narrator, Ken Freed conducting
    • 2002 Concert Work for String Bass, Peter Lloyd, principal bassist, MN Orchestra
    • 2002 Incidental Music for “Medea,” Commission Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Minneapolis, MN
    • 1999 November 4-6Elements for Orchestra,” Movement III, Minnesota Orchestra, Ejie Oue cond.
    • 1998 American Composer’s Forum,Elements for Orchestra”, Movements II & III (1987-90), Minnesota Orchestra Perfect Pitch Reading Session

Awards and Grants

    • 2017-1990 ASCAP Standard Awards
    • 2013 March, American Composers Forum’s Live Music for Dance Minnesota Fund, Arena Dances, collaborative improvisation based work with choreographer Mathew Janczewski
    • 2008-09 McKnight Artist Fellowship in Composition
    • 2006 Meet the Composer, Creative Connections Grant for Episodes, Minnesota Orchestra
    • 2005 American Composers Forum Subito Grant, Zeitgeist
    • 2004 Meet the Composer Grant for participation in Minnesota Orchestra’s Reading Sessions
    • 2004 Zeitgeist/Composer Workshop, residency supported in part by a Meet the Composer Grant
    • 2003 September-December, Composer-in-Residence, Camargo Foundation Cassis, France
    • 1999 ASCAP Bernstein Fund Award
    • 1997 American Composers Forum Commission Grant/Jerome Foundation forSea Flowers”
    • 1988 & 1989, Center Acanthes, Avignon, France, Pierre Boulez and Luigi Nono
    • 1985-86 Fromm Foundation Grant for Meditations and Satires

Recent Compositions - not premiered

  • 2018 Symphony #5 in progress
  • 2018 Whistling Acacia, work for voice and piano on a text by Liz Arnold
  • 2018 Freedom, SATB choral work, text by Ambrose Bierce and the names of victims of racial violence
  • 2017 Symphony #4, work for combined orchestra and band
  • 2015-16 Symphony #3, The Four Muses

Improvisation solo bass and electronics

  • 2016 Solo improvisation events at Zeitgeist New Music, and Dreamland Arts, St. Paul, MN
  • 2013-15 free improv trio with Maja Radvanlija, guitar and Michelle Kinney, cello
  • 2014 December, Artifact Traffic, solo improvisation for Pangea World Theater and Intermedia Arts “The Indigenous Voices Series,” Minneapolis, MN
  • 2013-14 solo improvisation for Artifact Traffic events Heid E. Erdrich producer, Twin Cities
  • 2009-2013 Series of solo improvisation produced under the name Ka-Bob, Studio Z, St. Paul
  • 2011 June 27, solo improvisation concert Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC
  • 2010 October 10, Livewire Festival at University of Maryland
  • 2010 March, 21st Century Schizoid Music, Frank Oteri presents Phil Fried, Cornelia St. Cafe, NYC, solo improvisation and written works presented
  • 2009 January and October, solo improvisation for Music on MacDougal, NYC
  • 2009 January and 2006 October, solo improvisation at Roulette Intermedium, NYC
  • 2007-2009, solo improvisation, Studio Z for Zeitgeist New Music, St. Paul

Recordings

  • 2010 Innova release, Zeitgeist, Here and Now, The Itty Bitty Symphony
  • 2008 Innova release, Nicola Melville, I remember the 60’s or was it the 70’s?, piano solo
  • 2005 Left for Dead, Bass solo with electronics, Live at Roulette
  • 2004 A Stick in the Eye, Phil Fried, Bass with Chris Granias piano, live at Acadia & Studio Z 
  • 2003 Patriot Records, Prague 24, Klezmer, Phil Fried Bass

Libretti and Texts

  • Libretto and original lyrics for Opera in Two Acts,  “A Character Never Dies”
  • Libretto and music for Opera in Three Acts, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”
  • English setting of “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde by R. Wagner, commissioned and performed by Nautilus Music Theater Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, March 1998 
  • Libretto and music for Opera in Two Acts, “The Dungeon of Esmeralda,” 1992
  • Libretto and music for Opera, “Lizzie Borden,” 1991

Education/Training

    • University of Chicago, PhD., Music Composition, 1985
    • Queens College, M.A., Music Composition, 1981, Queens College, B.M., Music Performance, 1979
    • Composition: Ralph Shapey, Henry Weinberg, Hugo Weisgall, George Perle, Luigi Nono
    • Instruments: Julius Levine, Joseph Gustafeste (Chicago Symphony)/Double Bass
Scroll to Top