Helen Wynfreda Fisher (born 1942) is a New Zealand composer and music teacher.

Life

Helen Fisher grew up in Māpua, Nelson, and attended secondary school in Wellington. She graduated from the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

in 1964 with a degree in English and taught English, music and French in New Zealand and Canadian secondary schools. She married and raised three daughters, but continued her studies in music at Victoria University of Wellington with Ross Harris,

David Farquhar David Andross Farquhar (5 April 1928 – 8 May 2007) was a New Zealand composer and professor of music at Victoria University of Wellington. Biography Farquhar was born in Cambridge, New Zealand, in 1928 but spent most of his early years in F ...

and

Jack Body John Stanley Body (7 October 1944 – 10 May 2015) was a New Zealand composer, ethnomusicologist, photographer, teacher, and arts producer. As a composer, his work comprised concert music, music theatre, electronic music, music for film and da ...

. In 1987 she won first prize in the Victoria University's Composers' Competition with ''Woodwind Trio'' and in 1989 won second prize for ''Pounamu''. She graduated in composition in 1991 and began working as a composer. Her compositions have been performed internationally. In 1990 and 1991, Fisher held the Arts Council residency of Composer-in-Schools in the Wellington area. In 1993, she co-founded the first New Zealand Composing Women's Festival.

Works

Fisher's compositions often blend Māori and European traditions. She composes for vocal and instrumental ensembles and also for dance theatre. Selected works include: *''Te Tangi A Te Matui'' (1986) *''Woodwind trio'' (1987) *''Pounamu'' (1989) for SSAATB choir, alto soloist and koauau *''Taku Wana'' (1998) for two mezzo-sopranos, Kai-karanga, taonga puoro (traditional Maori instruments), flute/piccolo, bodhran, string quartet *''Tete Kura'' (2000) *''Otari'' (2005) for solo harp *''Bone of Contention'', dance work for mezzo-soprano and ensemble *''Ko Wharepapa Te Maunga'' for brass octet *''Matairangi-1'' for cello and piano *''Matairangi-2'' for flute, viola and harp *''Muriranga-whenua'' for two flutes *''Nga Taniwha'' bicultural work for dance and school instrumentalists *''Nga Tapuwae o Kupe'' (The Footprints of Kupe) for school choir, instruments and dance *''String Quartet'' Her music has been recorded and issued on CD, including: *''Matairangi – Helen Fisher Chamber Music'' *''Taku Wana – The Enduring Spirit'', Atoll

References

External links

Helen Fisher Collection
at the

Alexander Turnbull Library The National Library of New Zealand ( mi, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa) is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations" (''Nat ...

1942 births Living people 20th-century classical composers New Zealand women classical composers New Zealand classical composers People from the Tasman District University of Canterbury alumni Victoria University of Wellington alumni New Zealand music educators New Zealand women music educators 20th-century women composers {{NewZealand-musician-stub