Albin Fries Songs

Featuring

Margarita Gritskova
Albin Fries

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Composer Biography

Albin Fries is also a natural scientist, having authored three books on bryophytes (mosses) and discovered new moss and fly species, currently working at the Natural History Museum Vienna.

Composer Biography

Albin Fries, the composer and pianist on this album, studied music education and concert piano at the Vienna Academy of Music and received composition lessons from Leonard Bernstein.

Composition History

Albin Fries composed the 'Rückert-Lieder' and the 'Five Last Songs' specifically for Margarita Gritskova, the mezzo-soprano on this album.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Albin Fries, the composer, states that nature has always played a significant role in his life, inspiring most of his instrumental works and influencing the 'Seasons' song cycle on this album.

Performer Biography

Margarita Gritskova, the mezzo-soprano on this album, has been part of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera since 2012 and was named 'Singer of the Year' in 2022 by 'Opernwelt' magazine.

Composer Biography

Albin Fries had to stop composing in 2020 due to inner ear hearing loss, which had reduced his hearing to less than 20% and made it impossible to hear higher frequencies.

Composer Biography

Albin Fries worked as a répétiteur and deputy director of studies at the Vienna State Opera until his retirement in 2020, and was also a musical assistant to Lorin Maazel and Claudio Abbado at the Salzburg Festival.