Biography
Composer and pianist Karen FitzGerald entered the world in Wilmington, Delaware, where her childhood unfolded amid the resonant strains of classical repertoire that filled the family residence. An accomplished pianist herself, her mother supplied those sounds, leaving a deep imprint on the young listener from an early age. Piano instruction began at five and extended beyond ten years, while additional coursework in music theory and composition at the Wilmington Music School concluded with high distinction.
Once that period of study ended, FitzGerald executed an abrupt shift into computer programming, although she continued to perform at intervals in coffeehouses, festivals, concert halls, museums, and galleries. Her earliest recordings surfaced in 1987 on the cassette Turquoise Flame. Nine years afterward she set programming aside entirely, channeling her focus instead into a full-time musical path.
By 1999 she had wrapped up sessions for her debut album, Heart of the Rain, whose contemporary instrumental selections include “Summer Rain,” “Emergence,” “A Rainy Night Outside Your Door,” “Remembering,” and “The Wind’s Lament.” The resulting work offers a tranquil array of modern solo piano pieces, at times augmented by synthesizer textures.
Once that period of study ended, FitzGerald executed an abrupt shift into computer programming, although she continued to perform at intervals in coffeehouses, festivals, concert halls, museums, and galleries. Her earliest recordings surfaced in 1987 on the cassette Turquoise Flame. Nine years afterward she set programming aside entirely, channeling her focus instead into a full-time musical path.
By 1999 she had wrapped up sessions for her debut album, Heart of the Rain, whose contemporary instrumental selections include “Summer Rain,” “Emergence,” “A Rainy Night Outside Your Door,” “Remembering,” and “The Wind’s Lament.” The resulting work offers a tranquil array of modern solo piano pieces, at times augmented by synthesizer textures.
Albums