Dr. Jack Fortner, Composer
Jack Fortner was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He began the study of composition in New York in 1960 with Hall Overton of the Julliard School of Music. He received his doctorate in 1968 from the University of Michigan where he studied with Ross Lee Finney, Niccolo Castiglioni, Leslie Bassett and George Wilson. His principle conducting teachers were Richard Lert, Karl Parapetian, Thomas Hilbish and Henri Gibeau. He was a conductor and a member of the composition faculty at the University of Michigan from 1966 until 1970, when he joined the faculty at the California State University at Fresno. He serves as Chair of the Department of Music, Professor of Composition, Director of CSUF Electronic Music Studio and Conductor of the CSUF Symphony Orchestra.
As a composer, he has received numerous awards and commissions for his work, including the 1966 International Composition Prize from the Foundation Royaumont of France; the 1967 Rome Prize Fellowship awarded by the American Academy in Rome; and grants from the martha Baird Rockefeller Foundation. Recent premieres include "Trois Gymnopedies" by the Trio Noes of Mexico City, "Sonnets" by the Orpheus chamber ensemble in Fresno, California, "Incantations" (solo cello) by Alan Brett in Fresno, and "Fur Eloisa" (solo piano) in Rjasan, Russia. His orchestral works, Prelude to an Opera: the House of Atreus, Quadri, and Declamations, Commentaries, and Ritornellos/Concertpiece for Solo Cello, Concertante, and Orchestra has been released on the Vienna Modern Masters compact disc series, "Music from Six Continents." His most recent work is etudes for two cellists, commisioned by Michael and Julianne Flaksman of Mannheim, Germany. Fortner's music is published in Europe by Editions Jobert, Paris and in the United States by Theodore Presser Company, Philadelphia.