Composer and pianist Karen FitzGerald was born in Wilmington, DE. She grew up in a home filled with the beautiful harmony of classic music. Her mother, a skilled pianist, provided the music. A very young FitzGerald was greatly influenced by her mother's talents. At the age of five, Karen FitzGerald began piano lessons and continued with them for over a decade. She also studied music theory and composition at the Wilmington Music School, completing her courses with honors. After all of that musical training, FitzGerald did a 90-degree turn and became a computer programmer. She still kept her music close though, performing occasionally at coffeehouses, festivals, concert halls, and even museums and galleries. In 1987 she released her first recordings, placing them on a cassette called Turquoise Flame. Nine years later she finally put her computer programming profession aside, so she could concentrate all of her energy on a musical career. In 1999, FitzGerald finished recording her first album, Heart of the Rain. Some of the contemporary instrumental tracks on this enjoyable debut are "Summer Rain," "Emergence," "A Rainy Night Outside Your Door," "Remembering," and "The Wind's Lament." FitzGerald's music is a relaxing offering of modern solo piano numbers, sometimes highlighted with synthesizer enrichments. ~ Charlotte Dillon