Edward Fisher was born on January 11, 1848, in Jamaica, Windham County, Vermont.

He was a Canadian conductor, teacher, organist, and administrator. He graduated from the Boston Conservatory of Music in 1867. In 1874, he studied in Berlin, Germany. In 1875, he moved to Ottawa, Ontario, becoming music director of the Ottawa Ladies' College and he conducted the Ottawa Choral Society. Fisher moved to Toronto, Ontario, where he was an organist at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church from 1879 to 1899. He was also a music director of the Ontario Ladies’ College in Whitby, Ontario. In 1885, Fisher was a co-founder of the Ontario Music Teachers' Association (later Canadian Society of Musicians) and became its president (1889-1890). In 1886, he started the Toronto Conservatory of Music and was appointed its first musical director. In 1887, he was Ontario vice-president of the Music Teachers' National Association. In 1898, he received an honorary degree of D. Mus. from Trinity College, Toronto.

In 1876, he married Florence Lowell (1855–1924). He died on May 31, 1913, in Toronto, Ontario.