Welcome to KeithFitch.com  
Keith Fitch currently heads the composition department at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he holds the Vincent K. and Edith H. Smith Chair in Composition and also directs the CIM New Music Ensemble. Called “gloriously luminous” by The Philadelphia Inquirer, his music has been consistently noted for its eloquence, expressivity, dramatic sense of musical narrative, and unique sense of color and sonority. Reviewing a performance of his work Totem by Wolfgang Sawallisch and The Philadelphia Orchestra (chosen by Maestro Sawallisch to celebrate the orchestra’s centennial), The Wall Street Journal praised “the sheer concentration of his writing, and its power to express a complex, unseen presence shaping the course of musical events.” His works have been performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan by such ensembles as The Philadelphia Orchestra, the American Composers Orchestra, the New York Youth Symphony, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, the Da Capo Chamber Players, and new music ensembles around the country..  Continue to Full Biography...

  News & Updates  
February 21, 2022
Keith has THREE premieres and a CD release this spring!

Sunday, March 13, 2022, 7:30pm City Church (Old Centrum Theater) 2781 Euclid Heights Blvd. Cleveland Heights, OH 44106 Cleveland Chamber Collective Mary Kay Fink, flute/alto flute "Three English Sonnets" (2015-2017)

Sunday March 20, 2022, 3pm Inlet Dance Theatre Pivot Center for Art, Dance and Expression 2937 W 25th St Cleveland, OH 44113 Cleveland Chamber Collective Mary Kay Fink, flute/alto flute "Three English Sonnets" (2015-2017)

Wednesday March 23, 2022, 7pm Severance Music Center Cleveland, OH CIM Orchestra, Carlos Kalmar, conductor "Alee" (2019-2021) (world premiere)

April 1 CD Release: Five Minutes for Earth (Azica Records) Yolanda Kondonassis, harp

Wednesday, April 6, 2022, 7pm Mixon Hall, CIM Cleveland, OH Mary Kay Fink, flute/alto flute "Three English Sonnets" (2015-2017) (world premiere)

Friday, April 22, 2022, TBD Merkin Hall NY, NY Yolanda Kondonassis, harp "as Earth dreams" (2020) (world premiere) Part of Five Minutes for Earth

February 26, 2020
This Sunday, March 1, at 7pm in Mixon Hall, the CIM New Music Ensemble performs "Ruthless Voicings" and the premiere of "Echoes of Orpheus," in addition to music by Varese and Donald Erb. If you cannot join us in person, you can watch the concert via the livestream: https://livestream.com/cimmixonhall/NME030120. Hope to see you there!

February 8, 2020
"Totem" will be performed by the CIM Orchestra this Wednesday, February 12, 2020 8pm, Kulas Hall. For those not in the area, the livestream link is: https://livestream.com/cimkulashall/CIMOC021220 Hope to see you there!

January 7, 2020
Two of Keith's works will be performed on the March 1, 2020 CIM New Music Ensemble concert, 7pm, Mixon Hall. The concert will feature "Ruthless Voicings" and the premiere of "Echoes of Orpheus" for solo cello, piano, harp, and two percussionists. Hope to see you there!

October 24, 2018
"Midnight Rounds" will be performed by the Oberlin Sinfonietta on Friday, November 2 at 8pm in Warner Hall. If you are in the area, it'd be great to see you at the concert!

July 7, 2018
Keith's new solo flute piece "Three English Sonnets," composed for Joshua Smith (principal flute of The Cleveland Orchestra) has recently been published by Edition Peters: https://edition-peters.com/product/three-english-sonnets/ep68602.

July 2, 2018
Keith has been awarded his second Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council! Read the press release here: http://www.oac.ohio.gov/News-Events/ArtsOhio-Blog/PostId/246/ohio-artists-receive-individual-excellence-awards.

June 3, 2017
It's official! Keith's piece celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Rocky Ridge Music Center, "The Range of Light" (baritone and six players), will be premiered on Sunday, July 9 at 3pm at Rocky Ridge (outside Estes Park, CO in Rocky Mountain National Park). More information can be found here: http://www.rockyridge.org/concert/music-in-the-mountains-faculty-concert-july-9-2017/ If you are in the area, please come! I'd love to see you there!

January 27, 2017
Keith returns to Bard College as guest composer on February 18-19! The Da Capo Chamber Players will be performing "Midnight Rounds" along with works by George Tsontakis and others on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 5:00 p.m. in Bard Hall. Hope to see you there!

January 1, 2017
Start your New Year with two recently-released recording of Keith's music! "Knock on Wood" appears on Yolanda Kondonassis and Jason Vieaux's CD "Together" (Azica Records. SKU: ACD-71297) and "Mean Fiddle Summer" appears on Lina Bahn's recording of the same name on Naxos Digital (Catalogue number: 9.70256). Take a listen!

October 15, 2016
Keith has been awarded a fellowship to Yaddo for December 2016-January 2017!

November 1, 2016
Stephen Solook will be performing "Manhattan Rolls" on Sunday, November 13 at 3:00p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church in Buffalo, NY.

October 1, 2016
Keith will be guest composer at the University of Missouri from October 14-16. New Music Mizzou will be performing "Dancing the Shadows" on Sunday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m. If you are in Columbia, please come say hello!

July 1, 2016
Keith's Piano Quartet, "Last Words" will be performed at the Rocky Ridge Music Center (Estes Park, CO) on Sunday, July 10 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are available at the door.

May 1, 2016
Keith has been awarded the Walter Hinrichsen Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters! As a result, a work of his will be published by C.F. Peters and Company.

February 25, 2016
Ars Futura will be performing "Dancing the Shadows" at CIM on March 2 at 8:00p.m., and at Lorain County Community College on March 7 at 7:30 p.m. Both concerts are free and open to the public!

October 1, 2015
Upcoming performances of Keith's music include the premiere of his Piano Quartet, "Last Words" (2014) on Sunday, October 4 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cleveland Institute of Music (www.cim.edu), and two performances of his chamber orchestra work, "In Memory":

Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Indiana State University Contemporary Music Festival, Thursday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. on the ISU campus (pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m.) https://www2.indstate.edu/music/cmf/about/page26/page26.html

Indiana University-South Bend Philharmonic, Jameson Cooper, conductor, Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 p.m. on the IUSB campus. https://www.iusb.edu/arts/events-community-outreach/event-schedule/index.php

September 14, 2015
Keith will be guest composer at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music from September 21-24. The IU New Music Ensemble will be performing "Burnt Counterpoint" and "Midnight Rounds" on Thursday, September 24th at 8:00 p.m. in Auer Hall. If you are in Bloomington, please come say hello!

February 2, 2015
Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and guitarist Jason Vieaux will perform Keith's harp and guitar duo "Knock on Wood" at Oberlin on Wednesday, February 11th at 8:00 p.m. in Warner Hall. If you are in the Oberlin/Cleveland area, please come!

January 19, 2015
Keith's harp and guitar duo "Knock on Wood" will receive its New York premiere by harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and guitarist Jason Vieaux on Saturday, February 28th at 8:00 p.m. at the 92nd Street Y. For more information and tickets, please visit http://www.92y.org/Event/Jason-Vieaux-Yolanda-Kondonassis.aspx If you are in the NY area, please come!

November 16, 2014
Keith has been appointed Composer-in-Residence for this summer's Rocky Ridge Music Center, where he will be directing the Young Artists Program in composition. Students interested in applying should visit http://rockyridge.org/ for more information. See you in Colorado!

May 20, 2013, 2013
Keith's most recent work, "In Memory," will be premiered on Monday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m. at Miller Theater (Columbia University, NYC). Commissioned by the Orchestra of the League of Composers, and dedicated to the memory of Frederick Fox, the work will be conducted by Louis Karchin on program featuring music by Bruce Adolphe, Eve Beglarian, Elliott Carter, Wang Jie and Leon Kirchner. For more information and tickets, please visit http://leagueofcomposers.org/.

January 15, 2013
Ars Futura, a new Cleveland-based contemporary music ensemble makes its Baltimore and Philadelphia debuts in free concerts this weekend, featuring Keith's "Le tango sinistre" (for the left hand alone). The concerts are:

Saturday, Jan. 19, 3:00 pm at An Die Musik Live, Baltimore, MD
Sunday, Jan. 20, 4:00 pm at Ethical Humanist Society, Philadelphia, PA

Please check out their FB page (www.facebook.com/arsfuturaensemble) for more info. Go support new music!

September 8, 2012
Keith's newest work, "Knock on Wood," (harp and guitar) will be premiered by harpist Yolanda Kondonassis and guitarist Jason Vieaux on Friday, October 26th at 7:30pm in Lippes Concert Hall (Slee Hall) on the University of Buffalo campus. Tickets are $12/$9/$5 in advance or $20/$15/$8 at the door. The program also includes music by Pujol, Albéniz, Hovhaness, Salzedo, and Montsalvatge. If you are in the Buffalo area, please come!

August 9, 2012
Keith's "Le tango maudit" will receive its American premiere by the Quattri Mani Piano Duo (Sue Grace and Alice Rybak) on Friday, August 10th at 7:00 pm. in Packhard Hall on the Colorado College campus. They will subsequently be recording the piece for Bridge Records.

June 1, 2012
Keith has been commissioned for a celebratory fanfare to open MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) - Cleveland's spectacular new building. The premiere will take place at a gala VIP event on October 5th, 2012.

April 1, 2012
Keith's piano quintet "To sleep, to dream" (violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano/celeste) has been programmed at this summer's Colorado College Summer Music Festival. If you are in Colorado Springs on June 19th, come take a listen!

March 14, 2012
Keith has been awarded an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council "in recognition of artistic excellence and professional accomplishments." Visit the Ohio Arts Council at: http://www.oac.state.oh.us/

March 13, 2012
Welcome to keithfitch.com! This is the official website launch. Check back frequently for more news and updates! Take a look and listen - Enjoy!

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