The Peabody community was saddened to hear of the death of Deborah Fleisher (AD ‘93, Harp). The remembrance here was shared by her sister, Leah Fleisher.
Deborah Fleisher, (December 3, 1953 – Sept 29, 2024) a powerful and expressive Miami concert harpist, graced the music world for over six decades, leaving an indelible mark across genres and generations. Born in New York City into a famous musical family, her journey as a third-generation harpist unfolded into a captivating tale of dedication, versatility, and artistry.
Fleisher is the daughter of legendary pianist Leon Fleisher, and Dorothy “Dot” Druzinsky. Her grandparents, Nettie and Louis Druzinsky, were both storied musicians. Her uncle Edward Druzinsky was the principal harpist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for four decades. At the age of seven Deborah began her musical odyssey and harp studies under the guidance of her grandmother, Nettie. Fleisher’s exceptional talent led her to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at a young age. Following Curtis, she further honed her skills at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, earning an Artist’s Diploma.
Over the course of her career Deborah 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 for many years with 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, ensemble player and soloist, as she always lifted up the musicians with whom she performed.
Deborah performed in ensembles with innumerable musical greats, such as Frank Sinatra, (and Frank Sinatra, Jr.), 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, and Michael Feinstein, to name a few.
Fleisher’s work helped keep the concert harp in front of 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, A Chorus Line, Peter Pan, My Fair Lady, and The Fantasticks. In 2003, she recorded with singer Jose Feliciano and can be heard on his album Senor Bolero 2.
Standing at just 5’5″, Fleisher mastered the concert harp and its powerful resonance. Known for her strength, she effortlessly maneuvered the 6-foot-tall, 90-pound instrument, in and out of the back of her minivan, up and down steps, onto boats, beaches, barges and all manner of venues. Fleisher enjoyed hauling harps from Miami to Key West to Naples, but was relieved not to have to bring her instrument when performing abroad. She played with Orquesta Sinfonica de Mineria, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional RD, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Bolivia.
In addition to performing, Deborah Fleisher influenced and helped shape the careers of other artists through her teaching, which she added to her busy performance schedule. She taught harp at Florida International University. In 2008, Fleisher joined the faculty of the Frost School of Music of the University of Miami in the Department of Instrumental Performance. She served as both an instructor of undergraduates and dissertation advisor for PhD candidates. She told her students to “Play the harp because you love the sound and its versatility.” And she warned them, “Be prepared to practice.” 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 YoungArts 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. Fleisher was a frequent guest chamber music artist.
Fleisher married Miami architect Marc Compton, with whom she shares a daughter, Dr. Lena Compton, a clinical psychologist residing in Miami. Though the two divorced, Deborah, Lena and Marc continued to travel together as a family and enjoyed many camping trips in Maine, and all around the country. Fleisher is the eldest of five children of Leon Fleisher. The family has enjoyed many opportunities to play and perform music together. Deborah’s brother Dickie Fleisher is the principal harpist for the Naples Philharmonic. Her sister Leah is a physical therapist and harpist, and teaches injury prevention for musicians. Her sister-in-law Kayo Ishimaru, Dickie’s wife, is the principal harpist for the Jacksonville Symphony, and the Grant Park Symphony in Chicago. Her sister, Paula, is a health equity research administrator at the University of California, San Francisco. Her brother, Julian Fleisher, entertains as a jazz and pop singer, songwriter, and producer in New York City. As Deborah was known to quip to her family, when someone had an important performance or recital coming up “Better you than me”. The Fleisher family performed together on numerous occasions – notably premiering a Concerto for Four Harps and Orchestra, written for the family by another family member, composer Nicholas Jacobson-Larson, with Leon Fleisher conducting the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. They performed as a family at the Aspen Music Festival, at the Piano Pedagogy conference in Las Vegas, and together on a cruise in the Black Sea. Both Deborah and Dickie sat side by side on harp, with their grandmother Nettie Druzinsky in the early days of the Miami Beach Symphony, with conductor Barnett Breeskin.
Deborah was known to all for her humor, her wit, her generosity of spirit, her brilliance, her beauty and her candor. She was adored by her family and friends. Her daughter Lena was the true love of her life. Fleisher’s journey through music was marked by passion, innovation, and unwavering dedication, and stands as a testament to the enduring power of her spirit. 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.