Bergen Bel Canto Studio

Lori Fredrics is a knowledgeable exponent of art song repertoire, specializing in the works of Schumann, Mahler, Ravel, and Faure as well as works by contemporary American composers, including those by her husband, Howard Fredrics.

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The term “art song” usually refers to musical settings of lyric poetry written for solo voice and piano and intended for performance in a recital, but can also be scored for voice and any combination of instruments or orchestra. Ms. Fredrics encourages the study of art song as an essential element in the development of a sensitive and expressive vocal performer.

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Introduced to the genre as a child by her father, Siegfried Joachimowicz, who was a native German speaker, Ms. Fredrics became fascinated with German art song, also known as Lieder . He encouraged her interest and understanding of German poetry as well as of the music of composers such as Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms and Mahler.  

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Ms. Fredrics' interest in art song led her to seek formal training from well-known recitalist, Nan Guptill-Crain during her period of undergraduate study. During this time, Ms. Fredrics received recognition for her performances and presented a number of recitals, including one for the membership of the New York Singing Teachers Association Del Terzio Studio, at Carnegie Hall. As a result, she received the NYSTA Young Artist Award and presented a joint recital with co-winner, dramatic soprano, Andrea Gruber.

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As a graduate student, Ms. Fredrics studied voice technique and repertoire with Rose Taylor, whose 1997 recordings of Gyorgy Ligeti's Aventures and Nouvelles Aventures earned a Grammy nomination.

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Ms. Fredrics also had the privilege of studying with baritone, Gerard Souzay, the most renowned singer of his generation in the genre of French Melodie (French Art Song). Souzay, in addition to having been a student of the great Lotte Lehmann, had been the protégé of baritone, Pierre Bernac, for whom Francis Poulenc composed the majority of his songs. Ms. Fredrics prepared extensive recital repertoire, including Poulenc's song cycle, Banalités with Mr. Souzay.

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Another mentor of Lori Joachim Fredrics was pianist, David Garvey, the long time recital partner of legendary soprano, Leontine Price. Mr. Garvey, who worked very closely with many of the preeminent American Art song composers of his generation, including Samuel Barber, Ned Rorem, Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein, shared a wealth of first hand knowledge concerning the interpretation of this repertoire with Ms. Fredrics, which she has been able to bring to her own teaching.

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Indeed, Ms. Fredrics is eager to pass on to her students what she has learned from her various mentors and from her own performing experience.