cellist / folksinger



"...Anna Fritz shows she's got strong singing and songwriting skills to match her cello chops......The accompanying arrangements for percussion, guitar, piano, horn and cellos feel essential rather than merely exotic and Fritz's supple voice can haunt, hell-raise or break hearts as appropriate."
- Willamette Week

"...Fritz is no one-cello pony; the album's second track, 'On Wisconsin,' is a scathing ode to protest..."
- Portland Mercury

"Anna Fritz (Portland Cello Project) is a dynamic cellist and thoughtful folksinger. Justice, human spirit, gender and the natural world are her musical and lyrical themes."
- Southeast Examiner

"...Fritz wrote her arrangements for cello trios and quartets. This simplicity gives the music an elegant poise that would not have been possible with an overwhelming palette of sound. The result is a style that blends Fritz’s orchestral sensibilities with songs born from the folk rock tradition; layered with tasteful drums and percussion by Ji Tanzer. Jason Wells (March Fourth Marching Band, Trashcan Joe) recorded and produced the album, and his expertise and affection for Fritz’s music resulted in a record with equal parts professional polish and earthy luster..."
-1859 Oregon Magazine
 

Anna Fritz is a cellist and folksinger based in Portland, Oregon. She trained as a classical cellist in Wisconsin, then put down roots in the Pacific Northwest where she has based her music career for over two decades.

Anna writes songs that are used as political anthems and intimate prayers, touching on themes of colonization, climate, racial justice, gender, and connection with the living world. Her recorded work ranges from lush chamber folk to the powerful simplicity of one cello and one voice. She has released three solo albums: On A High Hill (2016), The Gospel of Tree Bark (2013), and Wake (2005). 

As a studio artist, Anna’s cello work has been featured in films and on more than 50 albums by bands such as The Decemberists, First Aid Kit, My Morning JacketDirty Projectors, case/lang/veirs,The Builders and The Butchers, and Blue Cranes

She is a founding member of Portland Cello Project and spent seven years as a touring member of the group, sharing stages nationally with the Dandy Warhols, Andrew Bird, Garrison Keillor (on Prairie Home Companion), Reggie Watts, and many others.

As a composer, Anna has collaborated with Northwest Classical Theater Collaborative on two productions. She has written full length scores for two plays and performed with the company in prisons, homeless shelters, schools, and theaters across Oregon.

Anna is also a Quaker with a music ministry that she has carried across the US to many Quaker meetings and other faith communities. Her ministry is under the care of Multnomah Friends Meeting where she is a member.

Anna teaches private cello lessons at her studio in SE Portland.