Bryan Fairfax

For other people named Bryan Fairfax, seeBryan Fairfax (disambiguation).

Lancelot Beresford Bryan Fairfax(8 February 1925 – 11 January 2014)was an Australian conductor based in the United Kingdom, who was known for his championing of little known or neglected works.

He was strongly associated with the works ofHavergal Brian,and he conducted the world premiere of Brian'sSymphony No. 1,Gothicin 1961. Brian's Symphony No. 18 was written especially for Fairfax and the semi-professionalPolyphonia Orchestrahe founded. His UK premieres include major works byGustav Mahler,Dmitri Shostakovich,Carl Nielsen,Sergei Rachmaninoff,Franz SchmidtandPercy Grainger.His conducting style has been likened to that of SirAdrian BoultandVernon Handley.

Biography

Fairfax was born inSt Kilda, Victoriain 1925.He studied at theNew South Wales Conservatorium of Musicand later in London underMax Rostal,and then became a violinist with theHallé Orchestrain 1954 for two years.He continued his conducting studies inViennawithHans Swarowskyin 1956–57.

In 1961 he founded thePolyphonia Orchestra,a semi-professional ensemble, as a vehicle for the performance of rarely heard or new music.On 28 February of that year, he directed the Polyphonia in the first live public performance in Britain ofGustav Mahler's massiveSymphony 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.

On 24 June 1961,Fairfax led the Polyphonia in the premiere ofHavergal Brian's gargantuanGothic 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 SirAdrian Boult,which the composer attended.Although Havergal Brian did not attend Bryan Fairfax's earlier performance, to express his gratitude he wrote hisSymphony No. 18especially for the Polyphonia Orchestra's forces and dedicated the work to Fairfax.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.

In 1962 he directed the first performances in Britain ofDmitri Shostakovich'sSymphony No. 3,The First of MayandPercy Grainger's balletThe Warriors,and the first public performance in Britain ofCarl Nielsen'sSinfonia espansiva.

On 22 November 1963, the composer's 50th birthday, he conducted a concert performance ofBenjamin Britten's operaGloriana,which was the opera's first performance in any form since its inaugural production in 1953.

On 2 January 1964, Fairfax led the Polyphonia Orchestra in the first British performance ofSergei Rachmaninoff'sSymphony No. 1 in D minor.

On 24 May 1966, he led the Polyphonia and other forces in the UK premiere of the workFranz Schmidtconsidered his masterpiece,The Book with Seven Seals.

Fairfax was the organiser of thePercy GraingerFestival held in London in 1970, and along withWilliam McKiesuccessfully lobbied the Australian government for financial assistance.

On 21 May 1971 at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, he conducted the premiere performance of theHourglass SuitebyCyril Scott.

In February 1972 at theRoyal Festival Hall,Fairfax conducted the only professional production of SirArthur Bliss's operaThe Olympianssince its 1949 premiere, which is now available on CD.

In 1977 he became the conductor of the Harrow Choral Society.

His students include Garry Humphreys.

He died on 11 January 2014, aged 88.