Ellen Fishman-Johnson

ELLEN FISHMAN-JOHNSON is a composer with a variety of musical interests. She writes for traditional ensembles as well those incorporating the use of electro-acoustic sound and video. In addition to composing for musical groups, she has worked with choreographers, artists and poets. She recently collaborated for a third time with choreographer and former Martha Graham dancer, Jeanne Ruddy, on a piece titled Lark (2009). Her score was described by Merilyn Jackson for The Philadelphia Inquirer as “a sprightly, complex 21st-century score whose swirling arpeggios harmonized well with the choreography.” Her choral piece, Women who Came Before Us, a setting based on a poem by Naomi Shiyab Nye was described by David Patrick Stearns, the Music Critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer, as “compelling.” The score has been published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing. In 2005, Gail Wein of The Washington Post characterized her piece, Mall Walking with Brahms for piano trio, performed by the Contemporary Music Forum at the Corcoran Art Gallery as “feisty and fiery“.