Jennifer Fitzgerald

I was born and grew up in Queens, New York. I moved to Boston to attend Tufts University and studied composition with Anthony Brandt and John McDonald and piano with Donald Berman. I remained in Boston for two years after completing my BA , working at an office (in accounting!) and composing. I continued studying with John McDonald until I left Boston for Durham, NC, to attend graduate school at Duke University. At Duke I studied composition with Stephen Jaffe, Anthony Kelley and Scott Lindroth, pursuing a Ph.D. in composition and a Women' Studies Certificate. My next home will be in Appleton, WI where I'll be a postdoctoral fellow at Lawrence University.

I am attracted to writing for unusual instrumental combinations. I combine ringing, ambient sounds with driving rhythms in my music, often in layers of activity. In my music, I contrast high energy and trance states -- popular music and culture plays a vital role in my composing. I am recently interested in multimedia projects, including my upcoming project Krash! Bam! Kapow!, a feminist comic book narrative. I also enjoy writing for dance and have performed my work for dance at the American Dance Festival.

I am fortunate to be part of a group of young, energetic composer/performers based in Durham. I have written several works for pulsoptional including how terrible orange..., Boitoi and Renga. I am the co-founder/co-artistic director and pianist for pulsoptional. We've been invited to perform at Duke University, Tufts University, Greensboro College, A/V in Rochester, NY, and the North Carolina School of Science and Math, as well as rock clubs, music festivals and art galleries throughout the east coast.  The ensemble is featured on the soon to be released documentary, Fully Awake: The Black Mountain College Experience.

Click here to learn more about pulsoptional!

Recently, my work Having Once Been for piano, percussion trio, harp and string orchestra was performed on the Duke/UNC Milestones Festival. In May, it was read by the American Composers Orchestra as part of the Underwood New Music Readings. I wrote nor does the snake, for horn and piano, for hornist Sloan Calvert for the Eastman School of Music Women in Music Festival. And so terrible orange had its premiere on pulsoptional's Annual Spring Showcase concert.

To learn more about my music, please see my list of works.

To learn more about my teaching, awards and commissions, please see my curriculum vitae.