JOHN FAIRLIE, M.M.

Co-founder and former member of the Birdfoot Festival’s Board of Directors, Mr. Fairlie has served on many nonprofit boards, including the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra (GNOYO), the New Orleans String Project, and the Steamboat Springs Orchestra. He was Executive and Music Director of GNOYO for twelve years, positions he also has held with the Boulder Youth Symphony. John received his Master’s Degree from the University of North Texas, and has taught at the university level at the University of Texas, Permian Basin, and at the University of New Orleans.

An active performer, John was a member of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) for 16 years, playing bassoon, contrabassoon, and saxophone. He has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Jacksonville Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Nashville Symphony, the Mexico City Opera, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Toledo Symphony, and several other professional orchestras. A composer as well as performer, he premiered his Bassoon Concerto with the Temple Symphony (Texas) in 2010, and has recently completed his first string quartet and a series of duos for clarinet and bassoon. John currently lives and teaches in Temple, Texas where he performs regularly as principal bassoonist with the Temple Symphony and on saxophone with the Temple Jazz Band.