Fiora Cutler (also known as Amy Cutler; born 21 June 1979), better known mononymously as Fiora, is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and composer born in

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk River, North Esk and South Esk River, South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River, Tasmania, Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, the Launc ...

, and based in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Education

Classically trained in singing and violin, Fiora won a scholarship to the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University to study voice completing a bachelor's degree in music performance with Professor Janet Delpratt graduating in 2001.

Early career

Fiora made her professional debut in opera with

Opera Queensland Opera Queensland is an opera company based in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded with funding from the Queensland State Government in 1981 under the name ''Lyric Opera of Queensland'' after the Queensland Opera Company was closed in ...

, and as soloist with orchestra performing Handel's ''

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

'' with the Queensland Orchestra in 2001. With a preference for chamber works and

lied In the Western classical music tradition, ( , ; , ; ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German and Dutch, but among English and French speakers, is often used interchangea ...

er, she performed most often in recital with her longtime friend, pianist and composer Paul Hankinson. Increasingly frustrated with the world of classical music, Fiora began writing her own music in 2002. Together with Hankinson, she began setting the texts of Australian poet

Judith Wright Judith Arundell Wright (31 May 191525 June 2000) was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 196 ...

. In 2003, the pair released the classical album ''Art Songs'', which included an original setting of "The Watcher". Fiora slowly turned her attention to writing music. After working on various soundtracks for TV and documentary film, she began moving into songwriting and dance music.

Songwriting and singing

Whilst living in London in 2006, Fiora co-wrote the song "Broken Pieces" with

Guy Sigsworth Allan Arthur Guy Sigsworth (born May 1960) is an English record producer and songwriter. He has worked with many artists, including Seal, Björk, Goldie, Madonna, Britney Spears, Kate Havnevik, Imogen Heap, Bebel Gilberto, Mozez, David Sylvian ...

and

Eicca Toppinen Eino Matti "Eicca" Toppinen (born 5 August 1975) is a Finland, Finnish cello, cellist, songwriter, producer, and arranger. In 1993 he formed the quartet Apocalyptica. Biography Toppinen grew up in Vantaa's Hakunila and has three sisters and o ...

for the band

Apocalyptica Apocalyptica is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Helsinki, formed in 1993. The band is currently composed of three classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso. Originally a Classical music, classical- ...

(see ''7th Symphony'' (album)) During this period she also wrote the strings for

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian and American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, she became a cultural phenomenon during the mid 199 ...

's release ''

Flavors of Entanglement ''Flavors of Entanglement'' is the seventh studio album, fifth international release and last Maverick Records release by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. The album, which was originally set for an April release, came out on May 3 ...

''. In 2009, Fiora travelled to Berlin to work with Paul Hankinson as finalists in the international song competition Das Lied. Following the competition and the coinciding success of a dance topline she had written and performed in 2007, "Show me a Reason", Fiora began collaborating with producers in Europe leading to her working on various releases for other pop and dance artists. In 2013, Fiora collaborated with Dutch DJ and record producer Armin van Buuren on the track, " Waiting for the Night", which was the first single released from van Buuren's fifth studio album, '' Intense'' and subsequently became a featured performer in his Armin Only world tour. Fiora had previously worked with van Buuren on "Breathe In Deep", a track taken off of his fourth album, ''

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', mean ...

'', in 2010. In 2018, they collaborated again under van Buuren's Rising Star alias on "Just As You Are", which was featured on his ''A State Of Trance 2018'' compilation.

Orchestral writing

Whilst living in Tasmania in 2005, Fiora wrote the beginnings of what would be her first major orchestral project ''Flyphoenixx'', which was recorded in the Federation Concert Hall in Hobart in June 2005 with the first session conducted by Guy Noble. After putting the project on hold for a number of years, Fiora came back to the project in 2009, recording new works she conducted herself and releasing it ''Flyphoenixx'' in 2011.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fiora 1979 births Living people People from Launceston, Tasmania Australian women singer-songwriters Australian record producers 21st-century Australian singers Monstercat artists 21st-century Australian singer-songwriters