Henry Flurry, an award-winning composer, pianist, and choral conductor, grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. He began his formal composition studies at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, where he studied with New Orleans composers Bert Braud and Ellis Marsalis. At Northwestern University School of Music, he studied under M. William Karlins, and in Ann Arbor, MI he studied extensively under Marianne Ploger, a protégée of Nadia Boulanger. In 2001, he received a scholarship to study composition in Paris, France under Philip Lasser, Narcis Bonet, Michel Merlet, and Samual Adler.
His major piano mentors include Laurence Davis, Eric Van De Vort, Joseph Gurt. He received both his formal and informal Suzuki teacher training from Renee Robbins and Armena Marderosian.
In 1987, he joined the faculty of the Center for Performing Arts and Technology at the University of Michigan’s School of Music to teach computer music and research ways technology can be used in the arts. From there he went on to co-found Media Station, Inc., where he collaborated with artists to create multimedia children CD-ROMs for many different publishers, including Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, Scholastic, Crayola, IBM, and Harper Collins. In 2002, he and his family moved to Prescott, AZ, where he composes and teaches piano and composition. He and his wife Maria perform together all across Arizona as the duo Sticks and Tones.
Mr. Flurry composes for solo instruments and ensembles of all sizes. His works have been commissioned by many groups, including the Atlanta Wind Symphony, Kennesaw State University, Yavapai Community College, and Balance Duo. His orchestral work Fanfare for My City was selected by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra to be their official fanfare and has received numerous performances by that group. Prescott Fine Arts Association presented a concert of solely Henry’s music in 2009. His many choral works, both sacred and secular, have been performed all across the United States.
Henry Flurry is a certified Suzuki Piano teacher and Roster Artist of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. He is a co-founder of Chaparral Arts, Inc. (a 501(c)3 non-profit organization) and the Chaparral MusicFest, and he teaches at the Chaparral MusicFest Suzuki Academy.
Henry’s compositions are available for perusal and purchase at www.Nathana.com.