Deborah Fleisher, 1953 - 2024
Deborah Fleisher passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 29, 2024 at age 70. Eldest of five children of legendary pianist and conductor Leon Fleisher and Dorothy “Dot” Druzinsky, she played harp with many orchestras and Broadway touring shows over six decades. Born on December 3, 1953, in New York City to the musical family, Ms. Fleisher was a third-generation harpist: Her uncle Edward Druzinsky was the principal harpist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for four decades. At the age seven, she began her musical and harp studies under the guidance of her grandmother, Nettie Druzinsky. Ms. Fleisher’s exceptional talent led her to the Curtis Institute of Music in 1972, where she studied with Marilyn Costello and graduated in the spring of 1976. She then further honed her skills at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, earning an Artist’s Diploma.
Throughout her career, Ms. Fleisher held principal positions with the Baltimore Opera, Delaware Symphony, Annapolis Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Florida Sunshine Pops, Boca Raton Symphonia, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Orchestra Miami, Maryland Lyric Opera, and the Miami City Ballet. She enjoyed performing many genres of music in addition to the classical repertoire and was sought after as a chamber player, orchestral player, and soloist. As a performer, she played with numerous musical greats, such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, Renee Fleming, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Michael Feinstein, and many others. Fleisher’s work brought widespread attention to the concert harp, bringing the instrument to new generations of listeners and musicians by playing in popular touring Broadway musicals for shows such as The King and I with Yul Brenner, Hello Dolly! with Carol Channing, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, My Fair Lady, and more. In 2003, she recorded with singer Jose Feliciano and can be heard on his album Señor Bolero 2. The family, including her brother Dickie and sister-in-law Kayo Ishimaru, also harpists, enjoyed many opportunities to perform music together.
A devout educator, Ms. Fleisher taught harp at Florida International University and, in 2008, joined the faculty of the Frost School of Music of the University of Miami. She served as both an instructor of undergraduates and a dissertation advisor for Ph.D. candidates. Ms. Fleisher was the Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, and joined the faculty there as harp professor and chamber music coach. Deborah served on the Contemporary Music Selection Committee for the USA Harp Competition and judged and coached for the National Young Arts Foundation. She spent many summers teaching and performing at the Hot Springs Music Festival and the Miami Summer Music Festival. She also performed at the Marlboro and Aspen Summer Music festivals.
Deborah is survived by her daughter Lena and their dog Milo, her mother Dot, her siblings Dickie, Leah, Paula, Julian, her nephew Harry, and her BFF, violist Jennifer Rende.
