Blair Fairchild

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Blair Fairchild


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Born = Birth date|1877|6|23|mf=y
Belmont, Massachusetts, U.S.cite book |last=Villamil |first=Victoria Etnier |title=A Singer's Guide to the American Art Song |year=1993 |publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=0810852179 |pages=p. 156]
Died = Death date and age|1933|4|23|1877|6|23
Paris, France
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Occupation = Composer, Diplomat
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Blair Fairchild (June 23 1877 - April 23 1933) was an American composer and diplomat. Along with Charles Wakefield Cadman, Charles Sanford Skilton, Arthur Nevin, and Arthur Farwell, among others, he is sometimes grouped among the Indianists, although he had only a marginal association with their work.cite book |last= Howard|first= John Tasker|authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title= Our American Music: Three Hundred Years of It|origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url= |format= |accessdate= |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |volume= |date= |year= 1939|month= |publisher= Thomas Y. Crowell Company|location= New York|language= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages= |chapter= |chapterurl= |quote= ]

Fairchild was a native of Massachusetts, the son of Boston investor Charles Fairchild.cite web|url=http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/collection/itempage.jsp?itemid=194|title=Digital Collection - Lucia Fairchild Fuller (1870-1924)|date=2008-08-03|work=American Centuries|publisher=Memorial Hall Museum Online] He studied at Harvard College and in Florence before embarking, after a stint in business, on a career in the diplomatic corps.cite web|url=http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/Blair_Fairchild/26039.htm|title=Blair Fairchild|date=2008-08-03|work=Naxos composer biographies|publisher=Naxos Records] He first saw service in Constantinople before being transferred to Tehran; in 1903 he settled in Paris, where he pursued further studies in music before becoming a composer. He died in 1933.

Fairchild had studied music while at Harvard, attending classes taught by both John Knowles Paine and Walter Spalding. Upon his arrival in Paris he sought further study with Charles-Marie Widor. His musical style was based on music he had heard during his diplomatic travels, and among his early works were two tone poems upon Persian legends, "Zal" and "Shah Feridoun". He also wrote much in smaller forms, including many pieces for chamber groups. He also wrote songs and choruses. Fairchild's music has been described as derived from the same influences as the work of Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and Igor Stravinsky.

Little of Fairchild's music appears to have been recorded. Some of his piano pieces may be found on a compilation of Indianist music released by Naxos Records on the Marco Polo label.cite web|url=http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223715|title=American Indianists, vol. 1|date=2008-08-02|work=American Indianists, vol. 1|publisher=Naxos Records]

Fairchild was the brother of miniaturist Lucia Fairchild Fuller; their grandfather, Jaruis Fairchild, was the first mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, while their uncle Lucius served three terms as the governor of the state.cite web|url=http://www.askart.com/askart/artist.aspx?artist=25768|title=Lucia Fuller|date=2008-08-03|work=Lucia Fuller|publisher=Artnet.com]

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