Fletcher, Stanley (1910-1988) | University of Illinois Archives

Name: Fletcher, Stanley (1910-1988)

Historical Note: Stanley Fletcher was born in Manchester, England in 1910 and moved with his parents to Springfield, MA in 1922 where he received his early musical training. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Fletcher studied piano under Guy Maier, later studying with Artur Schnabel in Berlin. In 1935 he won the Kinley Fellowship at the University of Illinois and joined the piano faculty two years later. During his time as a professor he collaborated with fellow School of Music faculty member and violinist Paul Rolland in creating a series of manuals for teaching string techniques to children. Fletcher also composed and arranged several pedagogical collections of piano music to critical acclaim. As a performer, Fletcher was commended as an outstanding exponent of Chopin, Beethoven, contemporary music, and chamber music. He received major honors not only for his work as a concert artist, but also for his scholarly contributions to musical journals on the subject of music education. Upon retirement in 1971, Fletcher devoted himself to composing; the best known of his compositions is his folk opera, the Five Dollar Opera, first performed in El Paso, Texas. Fletcher died in 1988 in Albuquerque, NM.

Sources: From liner notes for CRI LP record Gordon Binkard Sonata for Piano (1955), newworldrecords.org.