Nicholas Fairbank
Composer | Conductor | Teacher
Canadian musician Nicholas Fairbank is based in Victoria (British Columbia) where he keeps busy as a composer and as a choral and orchestral conductor. His works have been performed across the country as well as internationally.
Fairbank’s writing is consistently elegant, and devoted to beauty as a vehicle for text.
Christopher Dawes, Organ Canada
[“Aurora”, the last movement of Isbjørn!] left words behind, and in a stunning interplay of beautifully shaped vowels and cadences took me right out into the enormous spaces, the vast horizon, the Aurora Borealis itself, before fading and dying into the Arctic night. Beautifully written, perfectly sung, it brought a strange and remarkable journey to an extremely satisfying conclusion.
Elizabeth Courtney, Music in Victoria
Featured Recordings
Dawn Bends (2023) is the first of two pieces from the PlanetWoman project, an a cappella setting of poetry by Zsuzsanna Ardó, performed here by Vox Humana directed by David Stratkauskas.
Phos Hilaron (2017) is the first movement of the 6-movement Orion Vespers with an original Latin text by Frances Dearman, performed by the Sooke Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra conducted by the composer.
Silver Penny (2010) is available as a separate piece for SATB choir and piano, though it arose as one of the movements of a larger work Sea Cantata. Here it is performed by a quartet from Hexaphone, with the composer at the piano.
Quintette pour piano et cordes (2007) was a private commission by Danièle Letocha. Here the 1st movement is performed by the Quatuor Molinari with Richard Raymond, piano.
Featured Videos
Dawn Horse at Dusk (2023) is the second piece from the PlanetWoman Project based on poetry by Zsuzsanna Ardó.
This is a studio recording by the St. Andrews University Chamber Choir(Scotland), conducted by Abi Collins.
Named (2023) was written specially for this video performance.
The text is by Zsuzsanna Ardó and the performers are Catherine Fern Lewis (voice and hand drum) and Ellen Himmer (cello).
Aurora (2014), inspired by the Northern Lights, is the final movement of Isbjørn!, written in the High Arctic aboard a tall ship while sailing around Svalbard. The piece is performed here by Laude Women’s Ensemble conducted by Elizabeth MacIsaac.
Recording: Richard Bailey, Video: Chad Blakely
Organ Sonata No. 3 by Felix Mendelssohn: Nicholas Fairbank performs the 1st movement on the 4-manual Casavant organ at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
Videography: Jeff Birmingham