Background
Farwell, Arthur was born on April 23, 1872 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Son of George L. and Sara G. (Wyer) Farwell.
Farwell, Arthur was born on April 23, 1872 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Son of George L. and Sara G. (Wyer) Farwell.
Educated Baldwin Seminary, Saint Paul, to 1889. Graduate Massachusetts Institute Technology, 1893. Special studies in electrical engineering.
Studied musical composition, 1893-1899, under Homer Norris, Boston, Engelbert Humperdinck, in Germany, and Alexandre Guilmant, Paris.
Torrance. Was lecturer on music at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1899-1901. Established Wa-Wan Press, Newton Centre, Massachusetts, for best American and Indian music On staff Musical America, New York, since January 1909.
Supervisor of municipal concerts, New York, 1910-1913.
Director Music School Settlement, New York, 1915-1918. Acting head, department of music, University of California, 1918-1919.
Holder of composer’s fellowship of Pasadena Music and Art Association, 1921-1922-1923. Founder and conductor Pasadena Community Music Meetings, 1922-1923.
Composer: American Indian melodies, 1901, and “Dawn” and “The Domain of Hurakan,” 1901.
Navajo War Dance. Symbolistic Studies, 1904-1909. Incidental music for “Joseph and His Brethren” and “The Gods of the Mountain”.
Music for pageant of Meriden, New Hampshire (U.S.), and pageant of Darien, Connecticut, 1913.
Music for community masque “Caliban,” 1916, and “The Evergreen Tree,” 1917. Music for the “Pilgrimage Play,” Hollywood, California, 1921. Symphonic Hymn on “March! March!” 1921.
“The Hako,” 1922 (string quartet).
Prelude to a Spiritual Drama, 1928. Rudolph Gott Symphony (orchestra), 1932.
“The Hound of Heaven” (for tenor), 1935. Piano Quintet in East minor, 1937.
“Symbolistic Study, Northern 6, Mountain Vision,” two pianos and strings (National Federal of Music Club’s prize, 1939).
Polytonal Studies (piano). 40 Emily Dickinson Songs, 1941-1943. “Indian Scene” and “Navajo War Dance, Northern 2” (choruses), “Navajo War Dance, Northern 2 (piano), 1946.
“Cartoon” (opera), 1948.
Lecturer Michigan State College, 1927-1939. Author: Intuition in the World-Making.
1938-1945. Home: 684 Riverside Drive, New York City 31.
Married Gertrude Everts Brice, June 5, 1917. Married second, Betty Richardson, September 1939. Children: Brice, Arthur Bragdon, Beatrice, Sara Emerson, Emerson, Jonathan Kirkpatrick.