Fiora Cutler
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Fiora Cutler (also known as Amy Cutler; born 21 June 1979), better known mononymously as Fiora, is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and composer born in
Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...
, and based in
Berlin, Germany Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constituent ...
.


Education

Classically trained in singing and violin, Fiora won a scholarship to the
Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (formerly the Queensland Conservatorium of Music) is a selective, audition based music school located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and is part of Griffith University. History The Conservatori ...
to study voice completing a bachelor's degree in music performance with Professor Janet Delpratt graduating in 2001.


Early career

Fiora made her professional debut in opera with
Opera Queensland Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981 under the name ''Lyric Opera of Queensland'' after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in D ...
, and as soloist with orchestra performing Handel's ''
Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...
'' with the
Queensland Orchestra Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra in the state of Queensland. The orchestra is based in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's building in South Bank. The Orchestra is funded by private corporations, t ...
in 2001. With a preference for chamber works and
lied In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...
er, she performed most often in recital with her longtime friend, pianist and composer Paul Hankinson. Increasingly frustrated with the world of classical music, Fiora began writing her own music in 2002. Together with Hankinson, she began setting the texts of Australian poet
Judith Wright Judith Arundell Wright (31 May 191525 June 2000) was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award. Biography Judith Wright was born in Armidale, New Sou ...
. In 2003, the pair released the classical album ''Art Songs'', which included an original setting of "The Watcher". Fiora slowly turned her attention to writing music. After working on various soundtracks for TV and documentary film, she began moving into songwriting and dance music.


Songwriting and singing

Whilst living in London in 2006, Fiora co-wrote the song "Broken Pieces" with
Guy Sigsworth Guy Sigsworth is an English record producer and songwriter. During his career, he has worked with many artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Imogen Heap, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian, Alanis M ...
and
Eicca Toppinen Eino Matti "Eicca" Toppinen (born 5 August 1975) is a Finnish cellist The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four str ...
for the band
Apocalyptica Apocalyptica is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Helsinki, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso, and jazz drummer Mikko Sirén. Originally a classical ...
(see ''7th Symphony'' (album)) During this period she also wrote the strings for
Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...
's release ''
Flavors of Entanglement ''Flavors of Entanglement'' is the seventh studio album, fifth international release and last Maverick Records release by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. The album, which was originally set for an April release, came out on May 30, ...
''. In 2009, Fiora travelled to Berlin to work with Paul Hankinson as finalists in the international song competition Das Lied. Following the competition and the coinciding success of a dance topline she had written and performed in 2007, "Show me a Reason", Fiora began collaborating with producers in Europe leading to her working on various releases for other pop and dance artists. In 2013, Fiora collaborated with Dutch DJ and record producer
Armin van Buuren Armin Jozef Jacobus Daniël van Buuren ( , ; born 25 December 1976) is a Dutch DJ and record producer from Leiden, South Holland. Since 2001, he has hosted ''A State of Trance'' (ASOT), a weekly radio show, which is broadcast to nearly 40&nbs ...
on the track, " Waiting for the Night", which was the first single released from van Buuren's fifth studio album, ''
Intense ''Intense'' is the fifth studio album by Dutch DJ and record producer Armin van Buuren. It was released on 3 May 2013 by Armada Music. The first song announced to be on the album is " Waiting for the Night", featuring the singer Fiora, which ...
''. Fiora had previously worked with van Buuren on "Breathe In Deep", a track taken off of his fourth album, ''
Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...
'', in 2010. In 2018, they collaborated again under van Buuren's Rising Star alias on "Just As You Are", which was featured on his ''A State Of Trance 2018'' compilation. Fiora also recorded the vocals for the song "Illegal" by the
Michael Mind Project The Michael Mind Project is a German house DJ and music production A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very ...
, which was part of their album ''State of Mind''.


Orchestral writing

Whilst living in Tasmania in 2005, Fiora wrote the beginnings of what would be her first major orchestral project ''Flyphoenixx'', which was recorded in the
Federation Concert Hall The Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart is a twelve-storey hotel located on the waterfront of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. History Originally part of a waterfront district called 'Wapping', the site where the Hotel Grand Chancellor is situated was ...
in Hobart in June 2005 with the first session conducted by
Guy Noble Guy Noble is an Australian musical composer, conductor, pianist and broadcaster. Noble studied piano in the early 1980s at the Sydney Conservatorium. On a scholarship from the Australia Council he travelled to London where he worked for four ye ...
. After putting the project on hold for a number of years, Fiora came back to the project in 2009, recording new works she conducted herself. She has stated on her website she hopes to release ''Flyphoenixx'' mid-2011. In 2011, Fiora scored her first major feature film— Matt Norman's ''Scab Girl Asylum''.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fiora 1979 births Living people People from Launceston, Tasmania Australian singer-songwriters Australian record producers 21st-century Australian singers Monstercat artists