# Gregory Fritze

Gregory Fritze is a former chair of the Composition Department at the Berklee College of Music. Fritze has also been a performer with Boston Ballet, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and other orchestras.

## Accomplishments

Fulbright scholar to Spain.
Recipient of a Walt Disney Fellowship
Recipient of several composition awards from ASCAP
Awarded First Prize in T.U.B.A. composition contest.
Received 1996 composition award "Menzione d'Onore del Premio" from Accademia Angelica Constantiniana.
A Meet the Composer grant.
Winner of the 1998 IBLA Grand Prize in Composition by the European International Competition Ibla, Sicily.
He has Compositions performed nationally and internationally with recordings on Mark Records, Crystal Records, and CRI.

## Biography

Gregory Fritze was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1954. Taking up the Tuba as his principal instrument, he received his bachelor's degree in Composition from the Boston Conservatory. At the Boston Conservatory he studied composition with John Adams and Tuba with Chester Roberts. He then went on to receive his master's degree in 1979 in Composition from Indiana University School of Music, where he studied Composition with Thomas Beversdorf, John Eaton and Fred Fox, while studying Tuba with Harvey Phillips. Fritze then went on to become Principal Tubist with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as a member of the Cambridge Symphonic Brass Ensemble, and Colonial Tuba Quartet.
In addition to composing over forty compositions for orchestra, band, chamber music and soloists. He has premiered many works for Tuba, several of which, written for him, such as the Concerto for Tuba and Band by John Bavicchi and the Concerto for Tuba and Jazz Ensemble by Ken Pullig. Fritze's compositions have been published by SeeSaw Music, Minuteman Music, TUBA Press and Musica Nova.
Fritze has served as a faculty member at the Berklee College of Music since 1979. While in attendance served as Conductor of the Berklle Concert Wind Ensemble from 1983–98. An advocate for new music, he began the annual Berklee student composition competition, which has produced hundreds of new compositions since its initiation in 1983.
In addition to his capacity as an educator, conductor, composer, and performer; Fritze has been a guest lecturer at many colleges, and festivals spanning from the United States, Canada, Japan and Europe. These include Convegno Bandistico Cantonale in Mendrisio, Switzerland, Sapporo Music Festival, Musicfest Canada Ottawa, Musicfest Canada Calgary, Musicfest Canada Winnipeg, Musicfest Canada Toronto, Musicfest Canada Vancouver, Massachusetts Instrumental Conductors Association, Rhode Island Music Educators Association, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, American Band Association, The Mozart Festival, New York Brass Conference, New England Tuba Festivals, and Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festivals.

## Compositions

Orchestra:
Wollaston Beach
Wheaton Overture
Prelude for Orchestra
Three Pieces for Orchestra
Wind Ensemble and Concert Band:
La Playa de Wólaston
Sinfonía de Valencia
Concertino for Euphonium and Band
Mare Nostrum Fanfare
Festival Overture
Jupiter Effect
Two Pieces for Concert Band
Invertebrate
A Day in Valencia
Flor de Azahar
Bocetos de Cullera
Variaciones Sinfónicas
Magallón Instrumento de Civilizaciones
Vadit Super Pozolum
Chamber:
The Broadway Limited
Prelude and Rondo
Kilimanjaro
Prelude and Dance
Salutation Fanfare
Basso Concertino
Pacman Gets Caught
Vertigo
Fantasia
Quintet for Brass Instruments
Piece for Trumpet Octet
Solo Music:
Sonata for Piano
Basso Concertino
Three Pieces for Solo Flutes
Yevrah Yad Thrib Bypah
Sonata
Six Pieces