Erika Fox facts for kids
Erika Fox (born 3 October 1936) is a British composer and teacher. She was born in Vienna, Austria, and grew up in a family that followed the Orthodox Jewish faith. In 1939, when she was just three years old, Erika Fox moved to England as a refugee. There, she studied music composition at the Royal College of Music. Her teachers included Bernard Stevens, Jeremy Dale Roberts, and Harrison Birtwistle.
A Composer's Journey
From the 1970s, Erika Fox became very active in the world of modern music. She worked with famous groups like the Fires of London and the Nash Ensemble. She also collaborated with the Dartington and the Society for the Promotion of New Music. For about twenty years, she had a lot of success with her musical pieces.
Some of her well-known works from this time include the Kaleidoscope quartet (1983). This piece was written for four different instruments: flute, harp, vibraphone, and cello. Another important work was her puppet music drama called The Bet (1990). This show was performed in many places, including the Purcell Room, the Almeida Theatre, the Huddersfield Festival, and the Norwich Puppet Theatre. However, by the mid-1990s, her music was not performed as often.
Rediscovering Her Music
Recently, there has been a new interest in Erika Fox's music. In 2019, a CD was released, which featured the very first recordings of her compositions. This helped many more people discover her work.
In 2020, her orchestral piece Osen Shomaat was recorded by the famous BBC Symphony Orchestra. A new concerto, David Spielt Vor Saul, was also created. A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument and a large group of musicians. This new work was written for piano and a big ensemble. The BBC asked her to write it, and it was first performed in Glasgow on 13 January 2022. Julian Jacobson played the piano, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra performed, led by conductor Geoffrey Paterson.
Her Unique Musical Style
Erika Fox's music has a special sound. It often mixes the lively tunes of Eastern European folk music with older, spiritual chants used in Jewish worship. She also includes elements from Chassidic music, which is a type of Jewish religious music.
Besides composing, Erika Fox has also been a dedicated teacher. She taught at the Centre for Young Musicians in Pimlico and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She also spent time as a Visiting Composer and Teacher at the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Selected Works
Erika Fox writes music for many different types of performances. She creates pieces for the stage, for singers, and for instruments. Her compositions often include parts of traditional Jewish music. Here are some of her selected works:
- Nine lessons from Isaiah (1970)
- Paths Where the Mourners Tread (1980), for a small group of instruments
- Kaleidoscope (1983), a quartet for four instruments
- Shir (1983) for a large group of instruments
- On Visiting Stravinsky's Grave at San Michele (1988), for piano
- The Dancer, Hotoke (1991), a short opera with words by Ruth Fainlight
- The Moon of Moses (1992), for solo cello
- Osen Shoomaat (1985), for 36 solo string instruments
- The Bet (1990), a puppet music drama with words by Elaine Feinstein
- Malinconia Militare (2003), for a small group of instruments
- Café, Warsaw 1944 (2005), for a small group of instruments
- Several Fanfares (2020), for solo trumpet
- Lament 2020 (2020), for contrabass flute and piano
- David Spielt Vor Saul (after Rilke) (2021), for piano and a group of instruments
