Jennifer Fitzgerald (1975-2007)

American Opera Projects is deeply saddened to report that  composer Jennifer Fitzgerald passed away on December 23rd, following an extended battle with cancer. Jennifer was a 2006-07 member of AOP's composer training program Composers & the Voice. As a member of C&V she presented the songs "It must be in this garden...," "Fingers I," and "The Lesson of the Moth" as well as a scene from her opera, "Mr. Hawthorne's Engagement."

Born July 8, 1975, in New York City, Jennifer received her B.A. in music from Tufts University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in music composition from Duke University.  Jennifer was an instructor of music at Lawrence and a former Lawrence postdoctoral fellow. In addition to performing at Lawrence, Jennifer appeared at Adelphi University, Duke University, Tufts University, Greensboro College, and at music festivals and events throughout the east coast. Jennifer was named as an alternate Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin (2007-2008) and received the 2006 Meet the Composer Creative Connections Award, and was recognized as a “gifted young composer” by Alex Ross (music critic for The New Yorker.)

She is survived by her father and step-mother, Stephen and Leslie Fitzgerald of Savannah, Ga., her mother, step-father and sister, Candee, Mark and Rebecca Shepard of New York City; and her partner, Charles Jester of Appleton, WI.

The memorial service for Jennifer is Friday, Dec. 28, at the Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors Hodgson Chapel, in Savannah, Ga. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Lawrence University, Duke University, or Tufts University.

Jennifer's music can be heard at her website: www.jenniferfitzgerald.com