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Howard Fredrics

Professional

Composer/Lyricist: Both
Genre: Media
Website: www.howardfredrics.com

Biography

Critics have called Howard Fredrics’ music both “slashingly discordant” (LA Times) and “marvellously gothic” (Array).

In addition to electroacoustic music, much of Howard Fredrics’ compositional output consists of solo, chamber and orchestral works, opera and art song, music for the theatre, music for film/TV, music for computer games, music for multimedia installation, and music for dance. His work has involved long-standing collaborative relationships with poets, Elsa Grave and Charles Bukowski, as well as with author/librettist, Jacob Sager Weinstein and director, Jessica Kubzansky.

Over the years, Howard Fredrics has become most well known for his text-sound compositions, electroacoustic works (often with instruments and/or voices) based on readings of poetry, which are musicalized through the use of specialized computer software and hardware.

As he has also written music for dance, film, and the theatre, it is only natural that he has, in recent years, combined his theatrical, movement and image-based musical interests and experience with what clearly forms the bulk of his output, namely works involving the human voice, either spoken and/or sung. The result of this combination of forces has been his recent work on a multimedia opera, The Whitechapel Whirlwind, which is largely based on the life of his cousin, World Jr. Welterweight and British Lightweight boxing champion, Jack ‘Kid’ Berg (1909-1991).

Dr Fredrics’ works have been widely performed and broadcast in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas at major venues, including The Purcell Room at South Bank (London), The Bloomsbury Theatre (London), Janacek Hall (Prague), Seoul Opera (Korea), Banff Centre (Canada), The Kennedy Center (Washington), and the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art (Helsinki).

The recipient of numerous grants, awards and prizes, including a Fulbright Grant, Emmy and Telly Awards, ASCAP Awards, a British Arts and Humanities Research Board Grant, and prizes in the Bourges, SEAMUS, Musica Nova, Luigi Russolo and Tampa Bay Composers’ Forum competitions, his works are published by Franklin-Douglass Music, Jomar Press and his own publishing company, Auracle Music, and are recorded on the Centaur, SEAMUS/EAM, HEAR, ICMC/DIEM, Ottava and Omnimusic labels.

Howard Fredrics currently resides in London where he works as a freelance composer and operates a music and multimedia production and publishing company, Auracle Music.

Important Works Performances
  1. Excerpts from The Whitechapel Whirlwind (Auracle Music, 2005), duration: 45’, opera for mixed voices, orchestra, live electronics and projected images (piano-vocal version available). Recording available on Auracle label.
  2. The Purple Locket (Auracle Music, 2001), duration: 12’, ballet for orchestra. Recording available on Auracle label.
  3. Northern Lights (Auracle Music, 2001), duration: 8’, for soprano, mezzo-soprano, percussion and pre-recorded computer music. Recording available on Auracle label.
  4. Music for ‘Wedekind’s Lulu’ (Auracle Music, 1999), duration: 21’ for orchestra.
  5. Anarchist Suite (Auracle Music, 1998) with excerpts published by Franklin-Douglass Music), duration: 30’, for orchestra. Recording available on Omnimusic OM (Spoof – http://www.omnimusic.com) label.
  6. Screams from Lime (Auracle Music, 1998) duration 3', for pre-recorded computer music
  7. Vagvisa Fur Mitt Ofodda Barn (Auracle Music, 1995) duration 5'20
  8. The Raven's Kiss (Auracle Music, 1993) duration 7'40
  9. Inevitable Conflicts (Auracle Music, 1991) duration 15', for soprano and string orchestra (or string quartet). Recordings available on Auracle (Bukowski Songs) label.
  10. The Tragedy of Leaves (Auracle Music, 1991) duration 11', for pre-recorded computer music. Recording available on Centaur label as part of CDCM Vol 20: Music from The University of Texas or CDE Music
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