About Gary Fry
Gary Fry is an Emmy-winning composer, arranger, producer, conductor, and music educator. He has crafted music for recordings, films, commercials, publication, and live performance. Significant credits include his work as arranger/composer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Welcome, Yule! holiday concerts for nearly 20 years, his current position as arranger/composer for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Pops programs, artistic consultant to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for their annual Christmas Celebration concerts, and over 100 commissions for Christmas and holiday music from those orchestras and others from around the nation. In addition, many universities and prominent churches have commissioned new Christmas compositions and arrangements from Gary. His album of Christmas music, entitled The Song in Our Hearts, was released in 2023 and can be heard on the various streaming platforms, or ordered on CD from this website.
Long one of the nation's foremost commercial music producers, Gary has written and produced over 2500 nationally broadcast radio and television commercials for companies such as McDonald's, Sears, United Airlines, Kellogg's, the U.S. Air Force, and hundreds of other advertisers. He won an Emmy Award in 2006 for his original commercial music for WBBM-TV (Chicago). Recently, Gary orchestrated and conducted music for the PBS nature special To the Ends of the Earth.
This unique combination of symphonic skills and commercial experience has made him an in-demand music writer for organizations looking for the highest-quality compositions and arrangements that also appeal to a broad audience. His deep background in the recording studio and expertise in maximizing digital recording techniques has proven valuable to clients for CD production. The Rock Hill (SC) Symphony commissioned an opening overture for the 2024 BMX World Championships and now plan to record the work, which will also open their 2024-2025 concert season.
Gary also has a passion for working with young people, particularly in choral music. Children's choirs under his direction have performed at the White House, the United Nations, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and Carnegie Hall. He remains active as a clinician, lecturer, and conductor for ensembles in all levels of education from elementary schools to universities.
The Provision Theater in Chicago often utilizes Gary as a composer of music for the stage. He has written music for eight of their theatrical productions, including the Jeff-nominated Spoon River Anthology, was music director for the critically acclaimed Old Wicked Songs, and most recently provided music for Nicodemus.
Gary and his wife Carol live in the Charlotte, NC, area, where two of their four grown children live with their families. Gary is also the father of Cody Fry, a Grammy-nominated, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and producer, and often acts as conductor for his performances with symphony orchestras around the country, including the Atlanta Symphony, the Ann Arbor Symphony, the Columbus Symphony, and the Oregon Symphony. To find out more about Cody, click here to visit www.codyfry.com.
Long one of the nation's foremost commercial music producers, Gary has written and produced over 2500 nationally broadcast radio and television commercials for companies such as McDonald's, Sears, United Airlines, Kellogg's, the U.S. Air Force, and hundreds of other advertisers. He won an Emmy Award in 2006 for his original commercial music for WBBM-TV (Chicago). Recently, Gary orchestrated and conducted music for the PBS nature special To the Ends of the Earth.
This unique combination of symphonic skills and commercial experience has made him an in-demand music writer for organizations looking for the highest-quality compositions and arrangements that also appeal to a broad audience. His deep background in the recording studio and expertise in maximizing digital recording techniques has proven valuable to clients for CD production. The Rock Hill (SC) Symphony commissioned an opening overture for the 2024 BMX World Championships and now plan to record the work, which will also open their 2024-2025 concert season.
Gary also has a passion for working with young people, particularly in choral music. Children's choirs under his direction have performed at the White House, the United Nations, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and Carnegie Hall. He remains active as a clinician, lecturer, and conductor for ensembles in all levels of education from elementary schools to universities.
The Provision Theater in Chicago often utilizes Gary as a composer of music for the stage. He has written music for eight of their theatrical productions, including the Jeff-nominated Spoon River Anthology, was music director for the critically acclaimed Old Wicked Songs, and most recently provided music for Nicodemus.
Gary and his wife Carol live in the Charlotte, NC, area, where two of their four grown children live with their families. Gary is also the father of Cody Fry, a Grammy-nominated, Nashville-based singer-songwriter and producer, and often acts as conductor for his performances with symphony orchestras around the country, including the Atlanta Symphony, the Ann Arbor Symphony, the Columbus Symphony, and the Oregon Symphony. To find out more about Cody, click here to visit www.codyfry.com.