DONALD FREDRICKSON
For over a quarter of a century, pianist
Donald Fredrickson has been a member of the faculty and staffs of El Camino and
Santa Monica Colleges, where he accompanies Music Theatre and Opera productions
and workshops, choral activities, voice classes, and Applied Music Forums. At these schools he has accompanied
performances and master classes with Roberta Peters, Sherrill Milnes, Eddie
Daniels, John Aler, Richard Stolzman,
John Raitt, Carol Neblett, the Ahn Trio, Natalie Limonick, Marni Nixon, Peter Schickle (P.D.Q. Bach), Gary Gray, Nora
Chiang, 2005 Metropolitan National Council Audition winner Rodell Rosel,
International Pavarotti Competition winner Timothy Blevins, and Ms. Senior
America Patti Gallagher.
Hailed by the Los Angeles Times for his
“secure and supportive piano accompaniment,” Mr. Fredrickson was also honored
by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for his contribution to the
Santa Monica College Opera Theatre’s production of “Faust,” the video of which
was awarded five Emmy awards.
A graduate of Dartmouth College, Mr.
Fredrickson additionally holds two degrees in Piano Accompaniment from the
School of Music, USC, where he studied with the legendary Heifetz accompanist,
Brooks Smith. Other teachers at USC
included Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Malcolm Hamilton, and Natalie Limonick.
A frequent recitalist in the South Bay, Mr.
Fredrickson has accompanied the L. A. Master Chorale, the Welsh Choir of So.
California, the South Bay Opera, and has
appeared at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Dartmouth College, Cobo Hall in
Detroit, Cape Cod Conservatory, Gammage
Theatre in Tempe, AZ, Smothers Theatre at Pepperdine University, Norris Theatre
in Palos Verdes, the Pompeian Room at Los Angeles’ Doheny Mansion, Colorado
College in Colorado Springs, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Luckman Theatre at Cal State L.A., the Broad Stage
in Santa Monica, and the Aspen and Bear Valley Music Festivals. He has been a church organist for some 30
years—most recently as Associate Organist at St. Luke’s Episcopal and Covenant Presbyterian Churches in Long Beach--and has appeared as guest organist at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral
and the San Gabriel Mission, and
performed in Scotland as organist at St.
Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness, and St.
Magnus Episcopal Church, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, and, in Michigan, at the
Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids. In England, he performed on four
virginals and harpsichords at Fenton house, Hampstead Heath, London, and on
piano at Polesden Lacey (Surrey) and Hyde Close, Barnet (Herts.). Other international performances include
France (Segaux Institute, Paris), Canada
(Craigdarroch Castle, Victoria, BC), Egypt (Luxor), and India (New
Delhi/Gurgaon)
For many years he accompanied the West Coast
workshops of Brent Wagner, Chairman of
the Department of Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan, and
regularly supported Palos Verdes’ two premier string studios, those of cellist
Dorothy Muggeridge and violinist Gail Gerding Mellert. He is also a violinist and orchestral
keyboardist in the Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra.