Christopher Lee Fraley

Woodinville, WA 98077

C h r i s @ F r a l e y M u s i c . c o m

(4 2 5) 8 8 1 - 5 2 8 6

Summary

Extensive experience in writing classical chamber, symphonic, and vocal music. Works include a symphony, two operettas, orchestral tone poems, string quartets, a piano sonata and a piano trio. For a complete list, visit www.FraleyMusic.com. All but the most recent music has been performed, and several sample recordings are available online. My desire is to write pieces that are accessible and emotionally engaging. My favorite composers include Beethoven, Schubert, Saint Saëns, Janácˆek, and Josquin, among others. I also enjoy modern artists including Sting, Peter Gabriel, Sarah McLaughlin, Styx, and King Crimson.

Experience

August, 1997 to Present. - Fraley Music, Inc., Seattle, WA. Classical music composer. Since leaving my day job in 2001 to dedicate all of my time to composing, I have completed my first Symphony, several orchestral tone poems, and a second string quartet, as well as many other works. I continue to write classical concert music on commission and grants. I also continue to write music-related software as well as tools to support www.FraleyMusic.com.

2003 - Premiere of String Quartet No. 2 (F. 123) and Dry Gin Kiss (F. 119) at a recital concert entitled Paintings of Song on November 15, 2003 at the Music Center of the Northwest. Performers include the Brechemin Three piano trio. Other works performed include Fish Trio (F. 127), Eire’s Call (F. 131), and The Crossing (F. 108).

2003 - Premiere of the Fish Trio (F. 127) by the Max Aronoff Viola Institute (MAVI), Tacoma, WA. at the Aronoff Chamber Music Series on July 1, 2003.

2003 - Premiere of the Eire’s Call (F. 131) by the Foss High School Orchestra, Andrea Bryant director, in a benefit concert at Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall in Seattle on May 15, 2003. This event was sponsored by the Composer Residency Program of the Seattle Composer’s Alliance in conjunction with Gilda’s Club of Seattle.

2001 to 2002 - Commission from Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra, Pittsburgh, PA. The PCO commissioned Fanfare for Life, a symphonic fanfare in memory of the conductor’s sister. Premiered 11-May-02.

1997 to 1999 - Worked on several projects for Chaspen Foundation for the Arts, Redmond, WA, including two Young Composer’s Grants: the first in 1997 to write Red Riding Hood, a children’s operetta which premiered Oct-97; the second to write and record Frog Prince, a children’s operetta which premiered Nov-98. In 1999, a second set of performances of Red Riding Hood in Nov-99 at Meydenbauer Center’s theater, for which a video is available.

1995 to Present - Continuing private composition studies with Dr. Peter (Nagy-Farkas) Wolf.

1991 - Published paper on sound synthesis, based on undergraduate research. Fugue: A Functional Language for Sound SynthesisRoger B. Dannenberg, Christopher Lee Fraley, Peter Velikonja. IEEE Computer 24(7): 36-42 (1991), available online.

Fall 1985 - Spring 1989 - B.S. in Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Balanced my technical training by simultaneously pursuing my musical interests. Courses taken include standard harmony and music history courses, classical guitar lessons, and two semesters each of Electronic and Computer Music, Poetry Workshop, and composition lessons from Eduardo Alonso-Crespo. For my undergraduate research project, wrote a LISP and C system for generating and processing sound sample files, ultimately culminating in a research paper published in the IEEE (see Fugue above). Also pursued research projects on the use of wave guide filters to model brass instruments, and on re-synthesis techniques to simulate wind instruments.

Background

Raised in Reading, PA, to a musical family. Played the ’cello for ten years before dropping it in favor of a more portable instrument, the guitar. Four-time International Science and Engineering Fair finalist, with projects ranging from mathematics to natural language processing using computers. Avid computer programmer (my technical resume may be found here), also enjoy woodworking and gardening.

References available upon request.