Biography
Donald Fraser, born in Britain, stands out as a multifaceted musician whose accomplishments span composition of both concert pieces and cinematic soundtracks, leadership on the podium, and behind-the-scenes contributions as an arranger and producer of the highest caliber—a blend of skills rarely matched today. Having achieved prominence across these fields in his native country, he relocated to the United States during his middle years and achieved comparable acclaim there.
As a young person, Fraser participated in a community choir while pursuing studies in piano and trumpet, and he began composing at the age of 13. He entered the Royal College of Music in London upon turning 17, where his teachers included Humphrey Searle for composition and Alexander Goehr for conducting. During his second year, he secured five distinct prizes in composition, after which he ventured into film scoring and, at 19, took up the post of resident composer at the Royal College of Music and Art. His music for the stage work Why Tears, Achilles?, drawn from Homer's Iliad, reached wide audiences as the show traveled under different titles. Throughout his twenties, Fraser contributed to film and television projects while also creating concert music, one result being a program of his chamber compositions presented at Wigmore Hall. He acquired and operated a rural studio previously used by Edward Elgar for many of his later compositions. In the 1990s, he frequently directed the English Chamber Orchestra and secured production contracts with BMG and Delos on the strength of impressive sales figures for discs he had led.
Following an invitation in 1996 to become music director of the Illinois Chamber Symphony, Fraser relocated to the United States, where he has kept composing pieces performed by that ensemble along with the Chicago Symphony, the Choir of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and additional organizations. He has appeared as a guest conductor with many American orchestras and vocal groups, among them the West Point Glee Club and the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. As a permanent resident of the U.S., he has maintained conducting engagements in Britain, including the 2018 release of Songs for Strings by the English Chamber Orchestra on the Avie label.
As a young person, Fraser participated in a community choir while pursuing studies in piano and trumpet, and he began composing at the age of 13. He entered the Royal College of Music in London upon turning 17, where his teachers included Humphrey Searle for composition and Alexander Goehr for conducting. During his second year, he secured five distinct prizes in composition, after which he ventured into film scoring and, at 19, took up the post of resident composer at the Royal College of Music and Art. His music for the stage work Why Tears, Achilles?, drawn from Homer's Iliad, reached wide audiences as the show traveled under different titles. Throughout his twenties, Fraser contributed to film and television projects while also creating concert music, one result being a program of his chamber compositions presented at Wigmore Hall. He acquired and operated a rural studio previously used by Edward Elgar for many of his later compositions. In the 1990s, he frequently directed the English Chamber Orchestra and secured production contracts with BMG and Delos on the strength of impressive sales figures for discs he had led.
Following an invitation in 1996 to become music director of the Illinois Chamber Symphony, Fraser relocated to the United States, where he has kept composing pieces performed by that ensemble along with the Chicago Symphony, the Choir of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and additional organizations. He has appeared as a guest conductor with many American orchestras and vocal groups, among them the West Point Glee Club and the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. As a permanent resident of the U.S., he has maintained conducting engagements in Britain, including the 2018 release of Songs for Strings by the English Chamber Orchestra on the Avie label.
Albums
