Edward Fairlie (b. 1982) grew up in Geelong, Australia. Known as a composer and arranger of great versatility, he composes and arranges music for wind band, orchestra, big band, choir, brass band and chamber ensembles. Edward has four published works for wind ensemble - Nurture, Bear, Being Stardust, and Storm and Urge, all published in the "Windependence" series for Boosey and Hawkes, and Death By Tango, published by Brolga Music.
Edward has written commissioned compositions and arrangements across a wide variety of genres and ensemble types. His work has been commissioned by Eltham High School, Westbourne Grammar School, Geelong Grammar School, Christian College Geelong, Caulfield Grammar School, The Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Band and Orchestra Conductors Association (South Australia), and the South Australian Primary Schools Music Festival, to name a few. His work is performed regularly throughout Australia and the United States.
As a performer he has toured and recorded playing trumpet, keyboard and singing with many prominent artists, including ARIA award winning singer/songwriter Julia Stone, and ARIA/ Grammy award winning artist Gotye. He has also sung with the a cappella vocal jazz group The Idea of North, including a concert backed by The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Edward has also played trumpet in the pit orchestras for the 2017 Melbourne production of Disney's Aladdin, the 2018 production of Evita, the 2019 production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the 2021/22 production of Disney’s Frozen. He also performed with Orchestra Victoria for the Australian Ballet’s 2021 production of Volt, and played principal trumpet in the live orchestra that accompanied screenings of the film The Princess Bride at Hamer Hall in 2023. Edward is also the regular fanfare trumpeter for the Melbourne Cup.
Edward has taught trumpet, composition and arranging in many different institutions,, including The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Polytechnic and Box Hill Institute. He is also sought-after as a clinician, guest lecturer and adjudicator specialising in wind bands, big bands, orchestras and choirs at the high school and tertiary level.
In 2022 the AMEB released a new series for trombone and euphonium which features five of Edward’s compositions - one for each grade from Preliminary to Grade Four. He continues to have a busy schedule of commissions and performances, including a recent premiere of his chamber string ensemble work Under/Over, which was performed as part of the MSO Chamber Series at The Edge Theatre in Melbourne.