Fredericka King

Fredericka King, USA (Senior Music Historian in Residence, Emerson College)
Concerto: Grieg Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 (I. Allegro molto moderato)

Fredericka King, pianist, has been praised for her deeply sensitive musical instincts, lyricism, tone and outstanding technique. Her programs feature an exciting range of repertoire played with expertise and artistic conviction.

Fredericka King made her debut at Carnegie Recital Hall and the performance was noted for her “straightforward style and verve”. She has performed in the United States, Europe and South America, appearing in programs at historic Jordan Hall, the Gardner Museum, the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University. She has been the featured artist on television and public radio stations such as WGBH in Boston, WVPR in Vermont and WGMS in the Washington, D.C. area. She has also appeared as soloist with several New England orchestras, and as soloist and collaborative artist at the National Gallery of Art, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Miss King performed as soloist and accompanist with the New England Spiritual Ensemble, touring throughout the United States and in Spain. In addition she was a founding of member of the group La Femme, La Femme, dedicated to the performance of chamber and solo works by European and African American women composers. Programs featured with works by Amy Beach, Marianne Martinez, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, and Clara Schumann and African American women composers Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, and Valerie Capers. A program highlighting African American women composers was curated and performed for the American Women Composers organization presenting at Boston University and a varied program of piano, voice, and cello works for Bunting Institute at Radcliffe College.

Fredericka curated and performed as soloist and collaborator in The American Way series of four programs at the Old South Meeting House. The presentation showcased works of American songwriters the Gershwin brothers, American women composers, African American composers and music by Aaron Copland. Programs have also been presented at the historic African Meeting House and the Museum of Our National Heritage in Lexington (MA).

In her ‘Spectrum’ program for the Plano Music Teachers Association in Texas, Fredericka performed piano works for students of varying levels by African American composers, introducing those present to music and resources for finding further information and music by African American composers.

Fredericka’s teaching of younger students was the inspiration for the set of three CDs Piano Classics for Young Listeners: Littlest Classics, Midsize Masterpieces, and BIG Classics, which she designed, recorded, and produced. The repertoire features many of the numerous well-known pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Schumann, Schubert, Bartok, Burgmuller and many others.

Ms. King’s recordings include a CD of solo and vocal works by American women titled “Hooray for the Ladies!” with the group American Classics and chamber music by the African-English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor as a member of the Coleridge Ensemble. A variety of composers and stylistic eras is represented on her recording “A Born Pianist” including works by Bach, Scarlatti, Mendelssohn, and Chopin, Florence Price, W.G. Still, and George Walker.

Most recently Fredericka performed at the Interharmony Festival in Acqui Terme, Italy, the Eagle Hill Institute in Steuben, Maine and the Piano Texas International Festival and Academy.

Her academic background includes degrees in performance from Boston Conservatory and New England Conservatory, and pursued doctoral studies at Boston University. She was awarded a Teaching Diploma by the Royal College of Music in London, England and studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.

Fredericka King is Senior Music Historian-in-Residence at Emerson College and a member of the piano faculty at New England Conservatory of Music Preparatory School. She teaches an adult group piano class and the History of Western Music course in the Conservatory’s Continuing Education Department.

Ongoing projects include research and writing on the history of America’s premier piano makers, particularly the Chickering & Sons piano company in Boston, and developing textbooks for introducing classical music history and American music history.