FRANK FELICE, composer

Frank Felice (b. 1961) is an eclectic composer who writes with a postmodern mischievousness: each piece speaks in its own language, and they can be by turns comedic/ironic, simple/complex, subtle/startling or humble/reverent. Recent projects of Felice's have taken a turn toward turn towards the sweeter side, exploring a consonant adiatonicism.

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His music has been performed extensively in the U.S. as well as garnering performances in Brazil, Argentina, Japan, China, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation, Austria, the Philippines, the Czech Republic and Hungary. His commissions have included funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Omaha Symphony, Classical Music Indy, the Indiana Arts Commission, The Indiana Repertory Theatre, Dance Kaleidoscope, Music Teachers National Association, the Wyoming State Arts Board, the Indianapolis Youth Symphony, Kappa Kappa Psi/Tau Beta Sigma as well as many private commissions.  His 2022 Navona Records release, The Beauty of Innuendos contains four mezzo-soprano song cycles sung by Mitzi Westra, and his 2020 release titled Reflections and Whimsies was released on Enharmonic Records features performances by the Indianapolis Quartet, bassist David Murray, soprano Estelí Gomez, and violinist Davis Brooks. Other recordings are featured on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, Ravello Records (Sidewalk Music) and DB Records as well. He and James McGrath recently co-authored a book titled Progressive Rock Music, Religion and Religion which is published by Rowen and Littlefield.  Scores and other performance materials can be obtained from Mad Italian Bros. Ink Publishing and Heartland Marimba Publications. 

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Frank began his musical studies in Hamilton, Montana, singing, playing piano, guitar and double bass. His interest in composition began through participation with a number of rock bands, one of which, Graffiti, toured the western United States and the Far East in 1986-1987. He attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, the University of Colorado, and Butler University, studying with Michael Schelle, Daniel Breedon, Luiz Gonzalez, and James Day. He completed his Ph.D with Dominick Argento, Alex Lubet, Lloyd Ultan, and Judith Lang Zaimont at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, in 1998. Frank continues to perform as a bassist/guitarist with a number of central Indiana jazz and rock groups, and currently teaches as an associate professor of composition, theory and electronic music in the School of Music, Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

He is member of the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the U.S., the American Composers Forum, the American Music Center, The Society of Composers Inc., and the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers. 

 

Residencies and guest artist appearances include those with the Composers Institute, the TEDx Hieronymus Park, the Wyoming Arts Council, and the Banff Centre for the Arts and a number of mini-residencies in universities and high schools throughout the west and mid-west.

 

In addition to musical interests, he pursues his creative muse through painting, poetry, cooking, home brewing, paleontology, theology, philosophy, and basketball. He is very fortunate to be married to mezzo-soprano Mitzi Westra.