{{Short description|Australian music conductor (1925–2014)}} {{other people}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}} '''Lancelot Beresford Bryan Fairfax''' (8 February 1925{{spaced ndash}}11 January 2014)<ref name=garry/> was an Australian conductor based in the United Kingdom, who was known for his championing of little known or neglected works.<ref name=artsjournal>[http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2014/01/a-conductor-obsessed-by-obscurity.html A conductor obsessed by obscurity] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113134828/http://www.artsjournal.com/slippeddisc/2014/01/a-conductor-obsessed-by-obscurity.html |date=13 January 2014 }}, ''Arts Journal'', 12 January 2014.</ref>
He was strongly associated with the works of [[Havergal Brian]], and he conducted the world premiere of Brian's [[Symphony No. 1 "The Gothic" (Brian)|Symphony No. 1, ''Gothic'']] in 1961. Brian's Symphony No. 18 was written especially for Fairfax and the semi-professional [[Polyphonia Orchestra]] he founded. His UK premieres include major works by [[Gustav Mahler]], [[Dmitri Shostakovich]], [[Carl Nielsen]], [[Sergei Rachmaninoff]], [[Franz Schmidt (composer)|Franz Schmidt]] and [[Percy Grainger]]. His conducting style has been likened to that of Sir [[Adrian Boult]] and [[Vernon Handley]].<ref name=MWI>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Sept08/handley_obit.htm|title=Handley Obituary - September 2008 MusicWeb-International|first=MusicWeb|last=International|website=www.musicweb-international.com|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>
==Biography== Fairfax was born in [[St Kilda, Victoria]] in 1925.<ref name=garry>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/bryan-fairfax-pioneering-conductor-who-gave-the-first-english-performances-of-works-by-mahler-and-bruckner-9225710.html Garry Humphreys, "Bryan Fairfax: Pioneering conductor who gave the first English performances of works by Mahler and Bruckner", ''The Independent'', 31 March 2014], Retrieved 1 April 2014</ref> He studied at the [[Sydney Conservatorium of Music|New South Wales Conservatorium of Music]] and later in London under [[Max Rostal]],{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} and then became a violinist with the [[The Hallé|Hallé Orchestra]] in 1954 for two years.<ref name=answers>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/bryan-fairfax|title=Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions|website=Answers.com|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> He continued his conducting studies in [[Vienna]] with [[Hans Swarowsky]] in 1956–57.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
In 1961 he founded the [[Polyphonia Orchestra]], a semi-professional ensemble, as a vehicle for the performance of rarely heard or new music.<ref name=answers/> On 28 February of that year, he directed the Polyphonia in the first live public performance in Britain of [[Gustav Mahler]]'s massive [[Symphony No. 3 (Mahler)|Symphony No. 3]], at St Pancras Town Hall (it had earlier been heard in the UK only on BBC Radio broadcasts). The performance received highly complimentary reviews.<ref>[http://www.mahlersociety.org/essays.html Mahler Society] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727055408/http://www.mahlersociety.org/essays.html |date=27 July 2011 }}</ref>
On 24 June 1961,<ref name="Classics Online">[http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=1164 Classics Online] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326160443/http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=1164 |date=26 March 2012 }}</ref> Fairfax led the Polyphonia in the premiere of [[Havergal Brian]]'s gargantuan ''[[Symphony No. 1 "The Gothic" (Brian)|Gothic Symphony]]'', which had been completed 34 years earlier in 1927, but previous efforts to perform the work had stalled numerous times due to the colossal forces it requires. This premiere was held in the Central Hall, Westminster, and it was a precursor to the first fully professional performance, on 30 October 1966 at the Royal Albert Hall, under Sir [[Adrian Boult]], which the composer attended.<ref>[http://www.qpac.com.au/gothicsymphony/the_curse/ qpac: The Curse] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927220220/http://www.qpac.com.au/gothicsymphony/the_curse/ |date=27 September 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/288240.html|title=Havergal Brian - Symphony No.1 in D- for soloists, chorus, brass bands & orchestra, "The Gothic" - Classical Archives|first=Classical Archives|last=LLC|website=www.classicalarchives.com|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Although Havergal Brian did not attend Bryan Fairfax's earlier performance, to express his gratitude he wrote his {{ill|Symphony No. 18 (Brian)|nl|Symfonie nr. 18 (Brian)|lt=Symphony No. 18}} especially for the Polyphonia Orchestra's forces and dedicated the work to Fairfax.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/w/16611|title=Brian: The Jolly Miller - Comedy Overture (page 1 of 1) - Presto Classical|website=www.prestoclassical.co.uk|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/297974.html|title=Havergal Brian - Symphony No.18 - Classical Archives|first=Classical Archives|last=LLC|website=www.classicalarchives.com|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref> Bryan Fairfax conducted the Polyphonia Orchestra in the world premiere of the 18th Symphony in February 1962, at St. Pancras Town Hall. In June 1975 he directed the first professional performance, a BBC studio recording broadcast.<ref name="Classics Online"/>
In 1962 he directed the first performances in Britain of [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]'s [[Symphony No. 3 (Shostakovich)|Symphony No. 3, ''The First of May'']] and [[Percy Grainger]]'s ballet ''[[The Warriors (ballet)|The Warriors]]'', and the first public performance in Britain of [[Carl Nielsen]]'s ''[[Symphony No. 3 (Nielsen)|Sinfonia espansiva]]''.<ref name=answers/>
On 22 November 1963, the composer's 50th birthday, he conducted a concert performance of [[Benjamin Britten]]'s opera ''[[Gloriana]]'', which was the opera's first performance in any form since its inaugural production in 1953.<ref name=answers/><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=l2bpMdYsodYC&dq=Bryan+Fairfax+conductor&pg=PA149 Paul Banks, Britten's ''Gloriana'']</ref>
On 2 January 1964, Fairfax led the Polyphonia Orchestra in the first British performance of [[Sergei Rachmaninoff]]'s [[Symphony No. 1 (Rachmaninoff)|Symphony No. 1 in D minor]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HwSvhu1kLikC&dq=bryan+fairfax+1930&pg=PA83|title=Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings|first=Max|last=Harrison|date=28 November 2006|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|access-date=25 November 2018|via=Google Books|isbn=9780826493125}}</ref>
On 24 May 1966, he led the Polyphonia and other forces in the UK premiere of the work [[Franz Schmidt (composer)|Franz Schmidt]] considered his masterpiece, ''[[The Book with Seven Seals]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Music in London|date=25 November 1966|journal=The Musical Times|volume=107|issue=1481|pages=611–614|doi=10.2307/951973|jstor=951973}}</ref>
Fairfax was the organiser of the [[Percy Grainger]] Festival held in London in 1970, and along with [[William McKie (musician)|William McKie]] successfully lobbied the Australian government for financial assistance.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/release/transcript-2200|title=Percy Grainger Festival – Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr John Gorton|date=19 March 1970|publisher=[[Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)]]}}</ref>
On 21 May 1971 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, he conducted the premiere performance of the ''Hourglass Suite'' by [[Cyril Scott]].<ref>Cyril Scott, A Bio-Bibliography/Laurie J. Sampsel/ Greenwood Press 2000</ref>
In February 1972 at the [[Royal Festival Hall]], Fairfax conducted the only professional production of Sir [[Arthur Bliss]]'s opera ''[[The Olympians]]'' since its 1949 premiere, which is now available on CD.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Bliss-Olympians-Arthur/dp/B0019M82CG|title=Bliss: The Olympians|date=11 September 2012|access-date=25 November 2018|via=Amazon}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/album.jsp?album_id=198439|title=Bliss: The Olympians / Fairfax, Ambrosian Singers - Opera D'oro: 13670979 - Buy from ArkivMusic|website=www.arkivmusic.com|access-date=25 November 2018}}</ref>
In 1977 he became the conductor of the Harrow Choral Society.<ref>[http://www.harrowchoral.org.uk/about/history/ Harrow Choral Society] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317183451/http://www.harrowchoral.org.uk/about/history/ |date=17 March 2012 }}</ref>
His students include Garry Humphreys.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.garryhumphreys.com/biog.htm|title=garryhumphreys.com|website=www.garryhumphreys.com|access-date=25 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710020033/http://garryhumphreys.com/biog.htm|archive-date=10 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>
He died on 11 January 2014, aged 88.<ref name=garry/>
==References== {{reflist|30em}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairfax, Bryan}} [[Category:1925 births]] [[Category:2014 deaths]] [[Category:Australian conductors (music)]] [[Category:British male conductors (music)]] [[Category:Sydney Conservatorium of Music alumni]] [[Category:Australian male classical violinists]] [[Category:Australian classical violists]] [[Category:20th-century Australian classical violinists]] [[Category:20th-century British conductors (music)]] [[Category:20th-century British male musicians]] [[Category:20th-century violists]]