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About Fawn


When Fawn entered kindergarten in Thunder Bay, Ontario, she spoke only Mandarin, and barely a word of English. The next year, she started French Immersion. She has since lived and performed all over the country, including all three of Canada’s northern territories. She embodies Canada’s diversity with her mixed cultural roots of Chinese, French, and German, singing in her three ancestral languages as well as English.

Raised on folk, classical, and musical theatre, Fawn was a latecomer to jazz, but the bug bit her hard, and she quickly garnered accolades. Tim Tamashiro (former host of CBC Radio's national jazz program Tonic) named Fawn “one of Canada’s top swingers”. In 2014, Fawn won the Julian Award of Excellence for Emerging Jazz Artists.

The end of her marriage in 2015 spurred a period of deep reflection that changed the direction of her music. She grappled with the forces that had shaped her life decisions: perfectionism, Catholicism, and anxiety, among others. #MeToo further strengthened her sense of responsibility to give voice to women's stories. Music plays a crucial role in shaping society, and she felt compelled to write music about issues that matter.

In March 2019, Fawn debuted How to Say Sorry and Other Lessons, a show of eight personal stories and eight new songs. The music is co-written with her pianist, composer, and life partner David Restivo, fusing singer songwriter truth bombs with the rich complexity of jazz. The show explores themes of failure, feminism, conflict, consent, and connection. The March performance was recorded live with the support of Jazz Yukon. The new music was released on Chronograph Records in August 2020.

Fawn has two daughters and is a staunch advocate for epilepsy awareness. Her eldest daughter suffered from severe seizures from toddlerhood, and was on the highly restrictive (and effective) Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy for five years. Fawn is passionate about supporting families who are dealing with seizures, and about increasing awareness of this surprisingly prevalent condition.

She is also a passionate educator, delivering workshops on learning styles, growth mindset, creativity, and neurodiversity.

"Fawn Fritzen takes the jazz vocal to another level on this sophisticated and sensitive collection of compositions that are both poignant and introspective. Fawn's vocal style is bold with a sense of innocence and she delivers each song with focused confidence. With a combination of live and studio recordings the overall mix is beautifully cohesive and expertly produced. An album to be savored for its timeless quality."
— Memphis Marty, The Jazz Music Blog

"The Yukon jazz singer makes the minimalism work on her second album 'Pairings'. By limiting herself to very few backing players — and in most cases, just a single supporting musician — she creates a lot of open room for her sublime singing and her collaborators' superb sense of swing. I'd like to suggest one more pairing . . . all jazz lovers' ears and this wonderful recording."
— Mark Rheaume, CBC Radio


High Res Photos



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Photo #1: Fawn Fritzen headshot
Photo #2: David Restivo and Fawn Fritzen duo
Photo #3: Fawn Fritzen and the Fellas (John Lee, David Restivo, Kelby MacNayr)

All photos by Christian Kuntz Photography



Downloadable Bios




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Fawn in the Press


2021
Arancina album review, The WholeNote, 17 March 2021, by Ted Parkinson
David Restivo with Fawn Fritzen: Arancina, Rhythm Changes, 25 January 2021, by Will Chernoff

2020
How to Say Sorry and Other Lessons album review, The WholeNote, 2 November 2020, by Raul da Gama
Jazz vocalist Fawn Fritzen gorgeous and personal album release, The Jazz Music Blog, 10 September 2020, by Memphis Marty
Fawn Fritzen: How to Say Sorry and Other Lessons album review, JazzMa, 4 September 2020, by Gáspár Károly
Fawn Fritzen album review, Take Effect Reviews, 31 August 2020, by Tom Haugen
Fawn Fritzen album review, Ivan Rod, 21 August 2020, by Ivan Rod
How to Say Sorry and Other Lessons album review, Jazz Weekly, 20 August 2020, by George W. Harris
Vocalists worthy of your attention and ears, The Intelligencer, 14 August 2020, by David Reed
How to Say Sorry and Other Lessons album review, Jazz Quad, 4 August 2020, by Leonid Auskern

2019
Diving in, doing the work, What's Up Yukon, 27 February 2019, by Ken Bolton

2016
Originals with vocal jazz classics in a finely-tuned show, OttawaJazzScene.ca, 12 May 2016, by Alayne McGregor
Whitehorse vocalist Fawn Fritzen releases perfect pairings of jazz musicians, Apt613, 6 May 2016, by Gloria Song
Fawn Fritzen finds her voice up north, Ottawa Citizen, 9 May 2016, by Peter Hum
Fawn Fritzen: Pairings (Album review), JazzdaGama, 2 May 2016, by Raul de Gama
Fawn Fritzen teams up with Juno winners in Pairings, Yukon News, 22 April 2016, by Joel Krahn

2014
Jazz — North of Sixty, !earshot Online, March 2014, by Shelley Gummeson

2013
The Sultry Side of Fawn Fritzen, North of Ordinary Magazine, Spring 2013 issue, by Sarah Niman
Up Close and Personal with Fawn Fritzen, Yukon News, 15 March, 2013, by Jacqueline Ronson
A Creative Exploration of Vocal Jazz, What's Up Yukon, 7 March, 2013, by Barry "Jack" Jenkins

Older
Local Quartet Celebrates All Things Blue, What's Up Yukon, 20 December 2012, by Willow Gamberg
Former Inuksuk student plans concert in Iqaluit, Nunatsiaq News, 19 September 2012, by Samantha Dawson
He's the Top, What's Up Yukon, 26 April 2012, by Ken Bolton
Soulful Artist Dives Into Song, Yukon News, 29 April 2011, by Norm Hamilton

Radio & Podcasts
Fawn Fritzen takes a fresh approach to jazz standards, OttawaJazzScene.ca Podcasts with Alayne McGregor, 4 May 2016
Mixing the old with the new on Bedroom Voice, CBC Radio Airplay with Dave White, 12 March 2013
Lancement d'album et Tout doucement, Boréal Hebdo, with Jaime Little, 15-17 March 2013